Department of Health and Social Care

Alcoholic Drinks: Health

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2024 to Question 16199 on Alcoholic Drinks: Health, whether the post of (a) Head of Alcohol Policy and (b) Senior Policy Manager for Alcohol is (i) occupied and (ii) combined with other policy areas.

Andrea Leadsom: The Health Improvement Directorate leads on public health policy to reduce alcohol-related health harm. Within the directorate, the Head of Alcohol and Gambling and the Head of Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery, which have direct responsibility for aspects of alcohol policy, are occupied. There are several policy and programme leads working directly on different aspects of alcohol policy and programme delivery. There are two live vacancies in the alcohol and gambling policy and programme team, and we are recruiting staff to fill them.

Food: Advertising

Jo Gideon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Written Statement of 9 December 2022 on Health Update, HCWS 433, what her planned timetable is for completion of the steps required to implement the introduction of further advertising restrictions on TV and online for less healthy food and drink products; and when she plans to bring forward proposals for the necessary secondary legislation.

Sir Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to lay regulations under the Health and Care Act introducing further advertising restrictions on TV and online for less healthy food products.

Andrea Leadsom: On 1 October 2025, the Government will introduce a United Kingdom-wide 9:00pm television watershed for the advertising of less healthy products, and a restriction of paid-for advertising of these products online. The Government and regulators are working through the necessary steps to implement and enforce the regulations. These steps include consulting, finalising guidance, and laying regulations.

Laboratories: Disease Control

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2024 to Questions 18426 and 18425 on Laboratories: Disease Control, if she will publish a breakdown of each expense category of (a) expenditure and (b) maintenance costs; for what reason Porton Down and Colindale scientific campus sites do not have separate operational costs for the Category 4 laboratories; what plans she has to ensure the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of Cat 4 laboratory sites; and what steps she is taking to protect the UK from (i) synthetically designed viruses and (ii) other new and emerging biothreats.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Perinatal Mortality

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report entitled A comparison of the care of Asian and White women who have experienced a stillbirth or neonatal death, published by the MBRRACE-UK Perinatal Confidential Enquiry on 14 December 2023, what recent discussions her Department has had with NHS England on ensuring that women (a) from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and (b) at risk of premature birth are offered the (i) tests and (ii) medication that are recommended by NHS guidelines.

Maria Caulfield: Departmental and NHS England colleagues meet regularly to discuss initiatives to reduce disparities in maternity and neonatal outcomes, and pre-term births. NHS England has invested £6.8 million into their Equity and Equality guidance, which focuses on actions to reduce disparities for women and babies, including for those living in the most deprived areas. It sets out actions and expectations on Local Maternity and Neonatal Systems to consider complex social factors and adhere to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines regarding maternity care.All National Health Service trusts are now implementing the Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle (SBLCB), which provides up-to-date, evidence-based best practice regarding reducing perinatal mortality, including guidance around reducing preterm birth. The SBLCB recommends a universal risk assessment of all women for preterm birth at their antenatal booking appointment, with those at higher and intermediate risk being offered a care pathway designed to reduce the chances of preterm birth.

Mental Health Services: Children

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services waiting lists.

Maria Caulfield: We are committed to expanding and transforming National Health Service mental health care through the NHS Long Term Plan so more people, including children and young people, can be supported more quickly. The NHS forecasts that, between 2018/19 and 2023/24, spending on mental health services has increased by £4.7 billion in cash terms, compared to the target of £3.4 billion set out at the time of the NHS Long Term Plan. Nationally, overall spend on children and young people’s mental health services has increased from £841 million in 2019/20 to just over £1 billion in 2022/23. In the year to December 2023, over 750,000 children and young people aged under 18 years old were supported through NHS funded mental health services, a 31% increase since March 2021.We are rolling out Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges in England, and as of May 2023, these teams cover 3.4 million pupils in England, or the equivalent to 35% of pupils. We expect this to increase to 44% by spring 2024, and we are extending coverage to 50% of pupils by the end of March 2025. We are also providing £8 million to fund 24 early support hubs across the country. This will improve access for children and young people to vital mental health support in the community, offering early interventions to improve wellbeing before their condition escalates further.In addition, the NHS is working towards implementing five new waiting time standards for people requiring mental healthcare in both accident and emergency and in the community, to ensure timely access to the most appropriate, high-quality support. Four of these include children and young people.

Antibiotics: Drug Resistance

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 14 March 2022 to Question 133232 on Antibiotics: Drug Resistance and to the policy paper entitled UK five-year action plan for antimicrobial resistance: 2019 to 2024, published on 24 January 2019, what recent progress her Department has made on halving healthcare-associated Gram-negative blood stream infections.

Maria Caulfield: As described in the answer of 14 March 2022 to Question 133232, progress towards the target of halving healthcare-associated Gram-negative bloodstream infections (GNBSI) has proved very challenging, in part due to the diverse nature of the underlying causes of these infections. Data on the incidence of these infections in England is published quarterly by the UK Health Security Agency, and is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mrsa-mssa-gram-negative-bacteraemia-and-cdi-quarterly-report/quarterly-epidemiological-commentary-mandatory-gram-negative-bacteraemia-mrsa-mssa-and-c-difficile-infections-data-up-to-october-to-december-2023#epidemiological-analyses-of-gram-negative-bacteraemia-data Incidence of the three main healthcare-associated GNBSI organisms, E. coli, klebsiella pneumoniae, and pseudomonas aeruginosa, has fluctuated between 2019 and 2024, including a sharp decline in the incidence of E. coli seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, overall, the total incidence of healthcare associated GNBSI remains significantly above the target.We are currently developing the 2024 to 2029 antimicrobial resistance national action plan. We anticipate that in the delivery of this plan, we will continue to focus on GNBSI, building on lessons learnt over the past five years.

Bowel Cancer: Health Services

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what her policy is on establishing a national policy for neurogenic bowel cancer; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure adequate care is available for people who need it.

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the (a) cost to the NHS of lack of specialist bowel care for patients with neurogenic bowel disorders and (b) additional costs incurred by (i) diagnosis and treatment of pressure sores resulting from inadequate care and (ii) other secondary complications.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department has no plans at present to establish a national policy on neurogenic bowel disorder. To help ensure that patients with neurogenic bowel receive timely and appropriate care, NHS England has developed a range of guidance, including its Excellence in Continence Care guidance. NHS England has also published a service specification for spinal cord injury services, which makes specific reference to bowel care. It outlines that patients with spinal injury should be provided with advice and care by specialist nursing staff in specialist fields, including in the field of bladder and bowel management. In addition, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines on faecal incontinence set out the care that patients with neurogenic bowel should receive, including a neurological bowel management programme.No estimate has been made of the cost to the National Health Service of a lack of specialist bowel care for patients with neurogenic bowel disorders. Nor has an estimate been made of the costs incurred by the diagnosis and treatment of pressure sores, resulting from inadequate care and other secondary complications.

Hypnosis and Psychiatry: Regulation

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people operating as (a) hypnotherapists and (b) psychotherapists are (i) registered and (ii) regulated.

Andrew Stephenson: Hypnotherapists and Psychotherapists are not statutorily regulated, and there are no current plans to introduce statutory regulation for either profession. The Professional Standards Authority for health and social care operates an accredited voluntary registers programme, providing a proportionate means of assurance for unregulated professions, by setting standards for organisations holding voluntary registers. There are currently two accredited registers related to hypnotherapy, and twelve accredited registers related to psychotherapy.The Government keeps the professions subject to statutory regulation under review, and in 2022, published the consultation Healthcare regulation: deciding when statutory regulation is appropriate, which sought views on the criteria used to decide when regulation is necessary, and whether there are any unregulated professions that should be brought into statutory regulation. The Government will publish its response to the consultation in due course.

Flour: Folic Acid

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress she has made on implementing the mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid.

Andrea Leadsom: I can assure the honourable Member that we remain firmly committed to the mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid. This will help to prevent around 200 neural tube defects each year. This policy is being delivered across the UK as part of the wider review of the Bread and Flour Regulations. In January, we published the consultation response, and we will bring forward legislation to implement the policy later this year.

Parkinson's Disease: Health Services

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department has taken to improve care for people with Parkinson's disease.

Andrew Stephenson: I would like to thank my Honourable friend who is a tireless campaigner on this issue. NHS England’s RightCare toolkit and Getting It Right First Time programme aim to improve care for people with Parkinson’s by reducing variation and delivering care more equitably across England. A new treatment for advanced-stage Parkinson’s was rolled out in the NHS earlier this year. Tomorrow, the Secretary of State is also meeting the Movers and Shakers, a group of broadcasters and public figures living with Parkinson’s, to discuss their ‘Parky Charter’.

Kidney Diseases: Health Services

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of outsourcing dialysis services in Lambeth on patient care.

Andrew Stephenson: Any service changes should be based on clear evidence that they will deliver better patient outcomes. Within Lambeth, patients who will receive dialysis at the new site in Brixton will receive care in a significantly improved environment within brand new facilities in a great example of innovative public/private partnership. NHS England has established the Renal Services Transformation Programme to reduce unwarranted variation in the quality and accessibility of renal care.

Mental Health Services and Paediatrics: Finance

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the findings of the Cass Review, published on 10 April 2024, on the adequacy of levels of funding for child mental health and specialist paediatric services.

Victoria Atkins: I would once again like to thank Dr Cass for her excellent report which provides much needed clarity for services and patients. We are working with NHS England to take forward its recommendations.NHS England has committed £17.1 million to the two new regional hubs for Children and Young People gender services in 2024/25.We are providing record levels of investment to transform NHS mental health services in England. Since 2019 spending has increased by £4.7 billion in cash terms.

Hospices: Finance

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make it her policy to end the funding of hospices through integrated care boards.

Victoria Atkins: I commend my Rt Hon. Friend’s tireless advocacy for high-quality end-of-life care, through his work on the APPG for Dying Well.  I understand his concerns about potential variation in provision. However, the Health and Care Act 2022 included a legal duty for integrated care boards to commission palliative and end of life care, in line with wider NHS devolution.  Integrated care boards are best positioned to understand and meet the needs of their local population, and commission appropriate end-of-life services, including from the NHS and voluntary sector organisations, such as hospices.

NHS: Pensions

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of decoupling the age at which an individual can claim their NHS Pension from the State Pension Age.

Andrew Stephenson: The NHS Pension Scheme is generous, and provides good pensions for retirement. A new reformed scheme was introduced in 2015, to ensure the costs are sustainable for the future. The reforms included linking scheme retirement age to an individual’s state pension age, in response to people living healthier, longer lives.Individuals can claim their National Health Service pension earlier than their state pension age, although their benefits will be reduced in value, to account for the fact that they are being paid for longer. This reduction is waived when the scheme accepts a claim for early retirement on ill-health grounds. Where an NHS pension is claimed after state pension age, the reverse applies, and the value of benefits will be increased. The scheme also offers a partial retirement option, which allows staff to draw down all or part of their pension, and continue working in a more flexible way.

NHS: Strikes

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with healthcare professionals on minimum service levels during strikes in the NHS.

Andrew Stephenson: As part of the consultations on introducing minimum service levels in both ambulance and hospital services, the Department hosted workshops to which a wide range of representative groups were invited. This included employer and provider organisations, and unions representing healthcare professionals.

Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment her Department has made of the impact of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 on the ability of healthcare professionals to participate in industrial action.

Andrew Stephenson: The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 allows for regulations to be laid in Parliament in the health sector. The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels: NHS Ambulance Services and the NHS Patient Transport Service) Regulations 2023 came into force on 8 December 2023.As we set out in in our consultation response on minimum service levels in the ambulance sector, in our engagement with representatives from ambulance trusts, they indicated that establishing a minimum service level at the level specified in the regulations would require approximately 80% of an ambulance service’s resources on a typical shift. Therefore, if an employer chose to issue work notices during a strike, it is likely that a high proportion of all levels of paramedics, emergency care assistants, and other staff in the ambulance teams rostered to work on a strike would be named, and this would have a significant impact on the ability of employees to participate in strike action. The Department has consulted on whether to implement similar regulations for hospital services, and will set out its response in due course.

Bile Duct Cancer: Health Services

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to improve the treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma cancers; and whether a proportion of the additional funding allocated to her Department in the Spring Budget 2024 will be used to treat Cholangiocarcinoma cancers.

Andrew Stephenson: Cancer is being diagnosed at an earlier stage, more often, with survival rates improving across almost all types of cancer, and the National Health Service has been seeing and treating record numbers of cancer patients over the last two years. Improving early diagnosis of cancer, including cholangiocarcinoma cancers, is a priority for the NHS. The NHS has an ambition to diagnose 75% of cancers at stage 1 or 2 by 2028, which will help tens of thousands of people live for longer.Although funding for treatment isn’t allocated for specific cancers, the Government has provided significant additional funding to the NHS and adult social care in England. Measures introduced at the Spring Budget will protect levels of funding for the NHS in England in real terms in 2024/25, by providing an extra £2.5 billion for 2024/25, meaning a total budget of £164.9 billion.While this additional spending is needed, the Government recognises that more money cannot always be the answer to improving outcomes for patients. Alongside the £2.5 billion of extra funding for day-to-day activities, the Government will invest £3.4 billion to reform the way the NHS works. This funding will significantly reduce the 13 million hours of time doctors spend on poor IT, freeing up significant capacity, and revolutionising treatment for a range of illnesses such as cancer and strokes. This will double the investment in technological and digital transformation in the NHS in England, and turn the NHS into one of the most digitally enabled, productive healthcare systems in the world.On 14 August 2023, the Government published the Major Conditions Strategy’s Case for Change and Our Strategic Framework, which sets out our approach to making the choices over the next five years that will deliver the most value when facing the health challenges of today and of the decades ahead, including for cancer. It will look at the treatment and prevention of cancer, covering the patient pathway. The strategy will look at a wide range of interventions and enablers, to improve outcomes and experience for cancer patients.

Breast Cancer: Screening

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of uptake for breast cancer screenings amongst ethnic minority women.

Andrew Stephenson: The national breast screening programme does not currently have the capability to routinely cross reference patient’s ethnicity data with uptake data. NHS England has started work to improve its data collection capabilities as part of the development of the new screening IT system, through the Digital Transformation of Screening programme. This will support the collection of population-level data on protected characteristics such as ethnicity, to support services in improving uptake. More widely, NHS England has developed a national plan to improve uptake, including interventions to address inequalities and screening barriers. This includes ensuring appointments are as convenient as possible, and efforts are focused on areas and groups with low uptake.

Pancreatic Cancer: Health Services

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of Pancreatic Cancer UK's Optimal Care Pathway recommendations.

Andrew Stephenson: NHS England is delivering a range of interventions that are expected to increase early diagnosis, and improve outcomes for those with pancreatic cancer. This includes providing a route into pancreatic cancer surveillance for those at inherited high-risk, to identify lesions before they develop into cancer and diagnose cancers sooner, creating new pathways to support faster referral routes for people with non-specific symptoms that could be linked to a range of cancer types, and increasing general practice direct access to diagnostic tests. NHS England has also formed an expert group to consider a pathway for hepato-pancreato-biliary cancers, including pancreatic cancer.

Electronic Cigarettes

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to develop vaping cessation programmes.

Andrea Leadsom: Vaping can be an effective tool for adult smokers to quit smoking. However, the health advice is clear, if you don’t smoke, don’t vape, and children should never vape. We are concerned about the worrying rise in vaping among children, with youth vaping tripling in the last three years, and one in five children having now used a vape.Whilst anyone smoking should focus on giving up cigarettes before giving up vaping, giving up vaping is an important step in overcoming nicotine dependence. We are working with the NHS Better Health website to provide advice for people who want to quit vaping. The National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training has produced guidance for local Stop Smoking Service staff on how best to support vapers to quit. We are also exploring further ways to support people to quit vaping, as part of the national Swap to Stop programme.

Dementia: General Practitioners

Elliot Colburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help improve the knowledge of GPs on the symptoms of young onset dementia.

Helen Whately: We want all general practitioners to have received appropriate training, in order to provide high quality care to people with dementia, regardless of the person’s age or individual needs.The standard of training for health care professionals is the responsibility of the health care independent statutory regulatory bodies who set the outcome standards expected at undergraduate level and approve courses and Higher Education Institutions to write and teach the curricula content that enables their students to meet the regulators outcome standards.Whilst not all curricula may necessarily highlight a specific condition, they all nevertheless emphasize the skills and approaches a Health Care Practitioner must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients, including for dementia.The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, published on 30 June 2023, sets out NHS England’s commitment to improving training for workers caring for people with dementia.The Long Term plan also sets out the plan for there to be more healthcare staff working in and with GP practices, which will mean people will be able to get an appointment with the right professional depending on their needs. This means that those with dementia will be able to access the most appropriate support more quickly.The plan will include more GPs, nurses and 20,000 additional pharmacists, physiotherapists, paramedics, physician associates and social prescribing link. These bigger teams of staff will work with other local services to make sure people, including those with dementia, get better access to a wider range of support for their needs.We are seeing more people from younger cohorts with multimorbidity. Multimorbidity challenges the specialised approach to medicine, which has improved our ability to successfully treat single diseases. The Long Term Plan also addresses the increased need for medical and other clinical professionals with generalist and core skills to manage and support patients with seemingly unrelated diseases.There are also a variety of resources available on the NHS England E-learning for Health platform, including a programme on dementia care, designed to enhance the training and education of the health and social care workforce.

Palliative Care: Children and Young People

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if NHS England will (a) fund and (b) publish a data dashboard to help integrated care boards commission children and young people’s palliative and end of life care.

Helen Whately: NHS England has developed an all-age palliative and end of life care dashboard, which brings together all relevant local data in one place in an easily accessible format. The dashboard is accessible to integrated care boards (ICBs) and their commissioners and helps them understand the palliative and end of life care needs of their local population, including children and young people. This supports commissioners in their statutory duty for palliative and end of life care, enabling ICBs to put plans in place to address and track the improvement of health inequalities, and ensure that funding is distributed fairly based on prevalence.Funding has been confirmed to ensure continued maintenance of the dashboard for 2024/25, with discussions ongoing regarding further development and use. There is, however, existing publicly available data, such as the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities ‘Fingertips’ data on palliative and end of life care.

Dementia and Parkinson's Disease: Health Services and Social Services

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to provide training in Parkinson’s-related dementia care for health and social care professionals.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that health and social care professionals are trained in Parkinson’s-related dementia care.

Helen Whately: The standard of training for health care professionals is the responsibility of the health care independent statutory regulatory bodies. They set the outcome standards expected at undergraduate level and approve courses and Higher Education Institutions to write and teach the curricula content that enables their students to meet the regulators outcome standards.Whilst not all curricula may necessarily highlight a specific condition, they all nevertheless emphasize the skills and approaches a health care practitioner must develop in order to ensure accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment plans for their patients, including for dementia.Individual employers across health and social care are responsible for ensuring their staff are trained and competent to carry out their role, and for investing in the future of their staff by providing continuing professional development (CPD) funding. The required training needs are set out in the Dementia Training Standards Framework, which is available at the following link:https://www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/info-hub/dementia-2015-updated-2018/The framework was commissioned and funded by the Department, and developed in collaboration with the sector. It sets out the essential knowledge, skills, and expected learning outcomes applicable across the health and care spectrum.It is applicable to health and social care staff who work with people living with dementia, staff providing direct care and support, and those who provide leadership in transforming care, including social care managers and leaders.To supplement local National Health Service employer investment for CPD, the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, published on 30 June 2023, sets out NHS England’s commitment to continue national CPD funding for nurses, midwives, and allied health professionals. There are a variety of resources available on the NHS England e-learning for health platform, designed to enhance the training and education of the health and social care workforce. This includes a programme on dementia care, and modules in Parkinson’s disease in geriatric medicine.

Hospitals: Discharges

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to prevent patients from being discharged from hospital to no fixed abode.

Helen Whately: The Department is committed to promoting safe and timely discharge for people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness, to appropriate accommodation.Between 2020 and 2022, the Department delivered £16 million to 17 local sites, to pilot Out of Hospital Care Models to people experiencing homelessness following a hospital stay. These models provide interim accommodation and support while a full assessment of individual needs is carried out. There are positive preliminary findings, with a final evaluation due imminently. We will share learning to encourage local areas to adopt similar models.We have ensured that every acute hospital has access to a care transfer hub, to manage discharge for people with more complex needs.Additionally, in January 2024 the Department published the guidance Discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, to support staff involved in planning safe and supportive discharge of these patients from hospital. This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/discharging-people-at-risk-of-or-experiencing-homelessness/discharging-people-at-risk-of-or-experiencing-homelessness

Pharmacy: ICT

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to monitor the number of GP appointments that are freed up as a result of Pharmacy First.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the establishment grant for pharmacies extending into Pharmacy First for (a) consulting and (b) waiting facilities.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to expand the number of clinical pathways under Pharmacy First services.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance she issues tor GPs on working with Pharmacy First to reduce their workloads.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the new Living Wage rate on community pharmacies.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to tackle delays to payments to community pharmacies operating Pharmacy First.

Andrea Leadsom: Pharmacy First was launched on 31 January 2024, and as the service embeds, we will monitor and evaluate the service and keep the conditions covered by Pharmacy First under review, but it is too early to consider expanding the clinical pathways.In the Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care, we estimated that Pharmacy First, together with the expanded blood pressure check and contraception service, once fully scaled, could remove up to 10 million general practice (GP) appointments. We are monitoring the number of Pharmacy First consultations in community pharmacy but it is not possible to monitor the number of GP appointments Pharmacy First frees up. However, we know that Pharmacy First will enable GPs to see patients with more complex needs quicker.Since 2019, GPs and their teams have already been referring patients to community pharmacies for minor illnesses and Pharmacy First builds on this. NHS England has engaged with GPs during the development and launch of Pharmacy First and Community Pharmacy England has launched a dedicated website for GPs supporting them with Pharmacy First referrals.Pharmacies are not paid an establishment grant. Contractors who have signed up to deliver Pharmacy First received a £2,000 set-up fee, they receive £15 per consultation and £1,000 for each month they reach an agreed minimum number of consultations. Funding for community pharmacies, including the funding for Pharmacy First, is expected to pay for all their costs in providing the service. There are no delays to Pharmacy First payments. All payments are made in line with the usual schedule of payments.The statutory National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage is based on advice of the Low Pay Commission, which takes into account the impact on business and the wider economy, as well as the living standards of workers.

York Hospital: Waiting Lists

Keir Mather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce A&E waiting times at York Hospital for residents of Selby and Ainsty constituency.

Helen Whately: Our two-year urgent and emergency care recovery plan, backed by £1 billion of dedicated funding, was published in January 2023, to drive sustained improvements in urgent and emergency care waiting times. At York Hospital, an expanded and redesigned emergency department was opened in July 2023. This has improved the provision of services, including same day emergency care (SDEC). SDEC supports patients’ access to timely diagnosis and treatment, without the need for admission to hospital. The latest published data shows that at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the proportion of patients waiting 12-hours from decision-to-admit to admission has reduced by 6.9% in March 2024 compared to the previous year.

Antimicrobials: Drug Resistance

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to publish the next action plan for antimicrobial resistance.

Maria Caulfield: In 2019, the Government published the first of four five-year national action plans (NAP), aimed at tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within and beyond our own borders. This plan is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-5-year-action-plan-for-antimicrobial-resistance-2019-to-2024We are now in the process of developing the second five-year NAP, which will run from 2024 to 2029. It will be designed to ensure progress is maintained towards delivering our 20-year vision on AMR, in which resistance is effectively contained and controlled by 2040. Further information on the 20-year vision is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-20-year-vision-for-antimicrobial-resistanceThe 2024 to 2029 AMR NAP is being co-developed across the Government, its agencies, and the administrations in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with support from a wide range of external stakeholders, and informed by the responses to the Call for Evidence. The NAP is expected to be published in 2024.The 2024 to 2029 AMR NAP will build on the achievements of the 2019 to 2024 NAP, whilst recognising where there is more to do, and will be aligned with global plans and frameworks for action.

Bereavement Counselling: Perinatal Mortality

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2024 to Question 19417 on Mental Health Services: Parents, what steps her Department is taking to provide community mental health services to bereaved (a) fathers and (b) partners following pregnancy or baby loss.

Maria Caulfield: Through the NHS Long Term Plan, we are committed to expanding and transforming mental health services in England so that more people, including bereaved fathers and partners following pregnancy or baby loss, can get the help and support that they need.As part of this, we are expanding access to psychological and talking therapies within specialist perinatal mental health services. Specialist community perinatal mental health services have now been rolled out in every part of England, and should work closely with maternal mental health services, which are also being rolled out, with 39 maternal mental health services currently available across England. Fathers and other partners of women accessing specialist community care should be able to access an evidence-based assessment for their mental health and signposting to support as required. Individuals can also access psychological support by referring themselves to NHS Talking Therapies. Details of local services are available at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/nhs-talking-therapies/

Mental Health Services: Children

Dean Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Early Intervention Hubs.

Maria Caulfield: In July 2023, the Department secured just under £5 million from HM Treasury’s Shared Outcomes Fund, for a project to boost and evaluate the impact of 10 early support hubs. The Department has since provided an additional £3 million to increase the number of hubs being funded across the country to 24.Crucially, alongside boosting 24 hubs, the funding is also being used to evaluate the impact of the services, and inform any potential expansion of the model in the future. The evaluation aims to report its findings by Summer 2025.

Continuing Care: Finance

Simon Jupp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing certainty of funds to people who (a) receive continuing healthcare funding and (b) have a terminal illness.

Helen Whately: There are no plans to undertake such an assessment, as guidance is in place to ensure an appropriate approach to individuals in this situation. Individuals with a primary health need arising from a rapidly deteriorating condition which may be entering a terminal phase, are eligible for Fast Track NHS Continuing Healthcare (CHC). The fast track pathway is designed to ensure that eligible individuals receive appropriate care with minimal delay.The National Framework on CHC makes clear that integrated care boards (ICBs) should monitor the effectiveness of the care arrangements, and consider whether, and at what point, a reassessment of eligibility is appropriate. Where an individual in receipt of Fast Track NHS CHC is expected to die in the very near future, the ICB should continue to take responsibility for the care package until the end of their life. Fast Track NHS CHC funding should not be removed without eligibility being reconsidered, through the completion of a CHC Decision Support Tool by a multidisciplinary team.

Suffolk & North East Essex Integrated Care System: Costs

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average (a) cost per adult and (b) length of stay was for an acute hospital bed day in the Suffolk and North East Essex integrated care system in the 2022-23 financial year.

Helen Whately: The average cost per adult for an acute hospital bed day by integrated care system, is not collected centrally by the Department. NHS England publishes a national cost collection which includes unit costs for non-elective inpatient stays. This data is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/costing-in-the-nhs/national-cost-collection/The information on length of stay is not available in the format requested. NHS England publishes general and acute length of bed stay data, with data available at a trust level but not an integrated care system level. The trust level data is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/hospital-admitted-patient-care-activity/2022-23

DNACPR Decisions

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled End-of-life care: improving 'do not attempt CPR' conversations for everyone, published on 14 March 2024, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the recommendation that CPR training for all doctors and nurses should include scenario-based training on Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation conversations.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled End-of-life care: improving 'do not attempt CPR' conversations for everyone, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the recommendation that accessible communication materials should be accessible in health settings to support staff and patients with end-of-life conversations.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled End-of-life care: improving 'do not attempt CPR' conversations for everyone, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the recommendation that NHS England should expand the number and type of staff who can formally support Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation conversations in multiple settings.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled End-of-life care: improving 'do not attempt CPR' conversations for everyone, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the recommendation that for advance care planning conversations the primary care electronic patient record needs to be (a) the single place for holding (i) end-of-life care plans and (ii) Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation records and (b) accessible across all health settings.

Helen Whately: The Department will respond to the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled End-of-life care: improving 'do not attempt CPR' conversations for everyone, in due course.

Silica: Health Hazards

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions she has had with the Health and Safety Executive on monitoring public exposure to silica dust.

Maria Caulfield: Responsibility for exposure to silica dust is led by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), who are supported by a number of other governmental organisations, to minimise risks from exposure to silica.The Environment Agency, or equivalent regulators in devolved administrations such as Natural Resources Wales, regulates activities that have the potential to harm the environment and people. The regulator decides if relevant environmental permits and other consents and licences should be issued and, if so, what conditions should be applied. Local authorities also enforce nuisance legislation which includes the control of dust emissions.The UK Health Security Agency would expect any activities that generate dust, including silica, to be well managed and regulated and have clear plans in place for proper management and monitoring, in order to minimise any impact to the public.The HSE’s advice states that no cases of silicosis have been documented among members of the general public in Great Britain, indicating that environmental exposures to silica dust are not sufficiently high to cause this occupational disease. Further information is available at the following link:https://www.hse.gov.uk/quarries/silica.htm

Autism: Children

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to increase access to NHS assessments for Autism Spectrum Conditions for children.

Maria Caulfield: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for St Ives on 22 March 2024, to Question 18917.

Hearing Impairment and Visual Impairment: Health Services

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure (a) blind, (b) partially sighted, (c) deaf and (d) hearing impaired patients receive (i) care and (ii) communications related to their heath in an accessible format; and if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of missed appointments due to (A) inaccessible and (B) missed communications.

Maria Caulfield: Under the Equality Act (2010), health and social care organisations must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people, including blind, partially sighted, deaf, and hearing impaired patients, are not disadvantaged.  Since 2016, all National Health Service organisations and publicly funded social care providers in England are required to comply with the Accessible Information Standard (AIS).NHS England is responsible for the AIS, and have completed a review of the AIS to help ensure that the communication needs of people with a disability, impairment, or sensory loss are met in health and care provision. The AIS review included input from individuals with lived experience and voluntary sector organisations for blind, partially sighted, deaf, and hearing impaired patients.One of the aims of the review was to strengthen assurance of implementation of the AIS, and a self-assessment framework has been developed to support providers of NHS and social care services, to measure their performance against the AIS and develop improvement action plans to address gaps in implementation. The AIS self-assessment framework is designed to enable enhancements around assurance and allows organisations, commissioners, and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to judge performance and compliance.NHS England will publish a revised AIS in due course. Following publication, NHS England will continue work to support its implementation with awareness raising, communication and engagement, and updated e-learning modules on the AIS to ensure NHS staff are better aware of the standard, and their roles and responsibilities in implementing it.NHS England collects data on the total costs of missed appointments, but that data is not broken down sufficiently to enable us to make an estimate of appointments missed due to inaccessible or missed communications.

NHS Trusts: Procurement

Sarah Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to return NHS Trusts to pre-pandemic procurement practices.

Andrew Stephenson: Guidance on how contracting authorities, including National Health Service trusts, should respond to the COVID-19 pandemic was published in March 2020 and February 2021, reminding them of the options available when undertaking procurements in an emergency. These two guidance documents are available, respectively, at the following links:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0120-responding-to-covid-19https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0121-procurement-in-an-emergencyAuthorities are allowed to procure goods, services, and works with extreme urgency in exceptional circumstances, using regulation 32(2)(c) under the Public Contract Regulations 2015. These include a direct award under which authorities may enter into contracts without competing or advertising the requirement.Contracting authorities assess the market conditions for procuring supplies related to any procurement, in accordance with procurement guidance and regulations. Where any procurement meets the tests for the use of Regulation 32(2)(c) for the direct awarding of a contract, then that approach can be used. However, where it doesn’t, other approaches will be considered.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agriculture: South Holland and the Deepings

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding his Department has allocated to the farming sector in South Holland and the Deepings constituency since 2022 by (a) funding type and (b) recipient.

Sir Mark Spencer: The Rual Payment Agency has supported the farming and rural sector through payments under a range of schemes. Since January 2022, the RPA has released 954 payments to farmers, worth around £21.3m, in South Holland and the Deepings constituency broken down as follows. Vol/ValBasic Payment SchemeCountryside Stewardship SchemeEnvironmental StewardshipSustainable Farm IncentiveOther GrantsTotalVolume75614052528954Value (£)£ 17,960,030.90£ 1,863,631.02£ 98,297.09£ 384,085.30£ 963,624.28£ 21,269,668.59

Recycling: Urban Areas

Tahir Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps with local authorities to increase access to mobile household recycling centres in cities.

Robbie Moore: Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) play an important role in helping people manage the waste they produce in a convenient and sustainable way. Local authorities are responsible for managing HWRCs and determining how best to support their residents to manage waste responsibly. We encourage any innovative approaches that local authorities take to improve access and availability of their waste services.

Sewage: Pollution

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure water companies are held accountable for sewage discharge.

Robbie Moore: The Government is clear that the amount of sewage discharged into our waters is unacceptable. We will not let companies get away with illegal activity and we have taken a series of actions to ensure that where breaches, are found companies will be held to account. Government directed water companies to increase their storm overflow monitoring in 2013 and achieved 100% coverage before the end of 2023. Meeting this target is a significant achievement in creating positive environmental change and holding water companies to account. The wealth of data collected from these monitors will ensure that we know the full extent to the problem – increasing transparency, revealing the worst-offending overflows, and enabling regulators to continue to hold polluters to account. The Environment Agency can now impose unlimited penalties on water companies for a wider range of offenses following Government’s changes to broaden of the scope of the existing civil sanctions regime and remove the previous cap on penalties. The Government also has recently announced a consultation to ban water bosses’ bonuses when criminal breaches have occurred, quadrupled company inspections- by the end of March 2025, fast-tracked £180m investment to cut spills, and launched a whistleblowing portal for water company workers to report breaches.

Swifts: Conservation

George Eustice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will designate the swift as a species of bird which re-uses its nest under Schedule ZA1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

George Eustice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will designate the swift under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 on birds which are protected by special penalties.

Rebecca Pow: There are no plans to amend Schedule 1 or Schedule ZA1 at this time.

Dairy Farming: Finance

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to Table 1.2 of his Department's national statistics entitled Farm business income in England 2023/24 forecast, updated on 14 March 2024, whether his Department plans to provide financial support to dairy farmers in the context that their average farm business income in real terms is forecast to decrease by the greatest percentage among all farm types from financial year 2022-23 to financial year 2023-24.

Sir Mark Spencer: The UK has a resilient and dynamic dairy sector which operates in an open market where the value of dairy commodities, including farmgate milk price, is established by those in the supply chain. The average Farm Business Income is at a 20-year high in 2022/23 following a previous 20-year high in 2021/22. The forecast decrease for 2023/24 would bring average Farm Business Income for dairy farm businesses back closer to historic trends. Through a range of government schemes, there is support for investment in dairy businesses through the Sustainable Farming Incentive, the animal health and welfare pathway and various productivity and innovation grants. We have also recently introduced new legislation, The Fair Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations 2024, which creates new rules for dairy contracts covering issues such as pricing provisions, unilateral changes to contracts and notice periods. Ensuring fairer contracts will provide greater certainty for farmers and help the dairy industry thrive into the future.

Cats and Dogs: Smuggling

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of resources allocated to enforcement agencies responsible for checking pets entering the UK to effectively counter puppy and kitten smuggling.

Sir Mark Spencer: Defra regularly engages with enforcement agencies regarding tackling illegal pet smuggling and appropriate resourcing. Local authorities and the Animal and Plant Health Agency are responsible for enforcing pet travel and commercial import requirements. Authorised carriers and pet checkers have the delegated responsibility for conducting pet checks on non-commercial movements. They can refuse travel for non-compliant animals or share intelligence with the Animal and Plant Health Agency who can intercept at the port or border if non-compliance is suspected.

Cats and Dogs: Imports

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on the potential ban on importing dogs and cats under the age of six months; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that ban on levels of illegal pet trade.

Sir Mark Spencer: Defra regularly engages with relevant stakeholders, on tackling the illegal pet trade, including prohibiting the import of puppies and kittens under the age of six months. The Government supports the Private Members’ Bill, Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, introduced by Selaine Saxby MP on restricting the importation and non-commercial movement of pets. The Bill will contain powers that will enable future regulations for commercial and non-commercial movements of pets into the United Kingdom including prohibiting the import of puppies under six months old. By its very nature, it is difficult to assess the full extent of the illegal pet trade. The measures in the Bill will close loopholes ​exploited by ​unscrupulous traders, help reduce the low welfare movement of pets into Great Britain and crack down on the illegal smuggling of dogs and puppies.

White Fish: Fishing Catches

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the cost of the Pollack compensation scheme; and how his Department plans to fund this scheme.

Sir Mark Spencer: Using MMO landings data from 2023, approximately 50 vessels would be eligible for the scheme. In 2023 these vessels landed around 220 tonnes of pollack, with a value of around £800,000. Compensating for 50% of the 2023 value would cost around £400,000. This data is being verified by MMO. Funding for the compensation will be found from Defra’s existing budget.

Furs: Trade

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish the responses to the call for evidence on The Fur Market in Great Britain which closed on 28 June 2021.

Sir Mark Spencer: At this stage we do not have a confirmed date for publication of a summary of responses to the call for evidence on the fur market in Great Britain. In the meantime, we are continuing to build our evidence base on the fur sector, which will be used to inform any future action on the fur trade.  We have also commissioned a report from our expert Animal Welfare Committee into the issue of what constitutes responsible sourcing in the fur industry. This report will support our understanding of the fur industry and help inform our next steps.

White Fish: Fishing Catches

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Ministerial Direction in relation to a pollack compensation scheme, published on 10 April 2024, whether he received legal advice on the potential for this scheme to set a precedent.

Sir Mark Spencer: Legal advice was sought ahead of the Direction to provide support to commercially registered vessel owners who were reliant on pollack for at least 30% of their reported landings income in 2023. This is a unique situation; unlike other zero TAC stocks, there are some vessels that only target pollack, for whom a bycatch-only TAC could not help and whom are in some cases, highly dependent on pollack for their living.

White Fish: Fishing Catches

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he made an assessment of the potential merits of providing support to small scale fleets that follow a seasonal fishery and will not achieve the 30 per cent of landings value required by the Pollack compensation scheme.

Sir Mark Spencer: The direction given was to support those businesses that have been most impacted by the bycatch-only TAC this year. As there is finite funding available, the pollack compensation scheme is focused on providing funding to vessel owners whose income is mainly derived from pollack and who made at least 30% of their reported landings income in 2023 from pollack. Pollack fishers who are not eligible for compensation are still able to apply for grant funding from the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme, which provides funding on a first come first served basis.

White Fish: Fishing Catches

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which ports will be included in the Pollack Compensation Scheme; and how many vessels will be eligible in each port.

Sir Mark Spencer: It is estimated that approximately 50 vessels will be eligible for the compensation scheme. The home ports of eligible vessels are being verified by MMO, and the majority are expected to be registered in Newlyn, Plymouth and Brixham. MMO will be reaching out to eligible vessel owners in the coming days, when we will be able to confirm the home ports of those eligible for the scheme.

White Fish: Fishing Catches

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Pollack compensation scheme, whether he made an assessment of the potential merits of compensating for shore-based supply chain losses as part of that scheme.

Sir Mark Spencer: The direction given was to support those vessel owners that have been most impacted by the bycatch only TAC this year. As there is finite funding available, the pollack compensation scheme is focused on providing funding to vessel owners whose income is mainly derived from pollack and who made at least 30% of their reported landings income in 2023 from pollack. Shore based businesses, though not eligible for compensation, are still able to apply for grant funding from the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme, which provides funding on a first come first served basis.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of (a) 29 January and (b) 4 March 2024 from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare relating to haggis exports.

Sir Mark Spencer: A reply to the hon. Member is being prepared and will be issued in due course. I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member.

Fisheries: Employment

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the labour supply in the fishing industry.

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on plans to tackle labour shortages in the fishing industry.

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the ability of the fishing industry to attract seasonal workers.

Sir Mark Spencer: My officials and I regularly engage both other departments and the fishing industry, including in Northern Ireland, to understand their labour needs. In March 2023 Defra commissioned a survey to further understand the labour needs of the UK fishing fleet. The Government continues to support the sector to attract the labour it needs, having recently rejected the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendation that fishing occupations (51190 and 9119) be removed from the new Immigration Salary List. This means that those recruiting workers in these occupations will need to pay £30,960 instead of £38,700 when making use of the Skilled Worker visa. We note, however, the Migration Advisory Committee’s concerns about exploitation in the fishing industry and the limited evidence of the sector’s efforts to reduce its reliance on immigration. It is important that industry looks to the domestic workforce to fill vacancies. However, the Government recognises that the sector needs further support to address some of these issues. Labour shortages cannot be solved through the immigration system alone and there is regular engagement between departments when developing policy. We will continue to strike the balance between reducing overall net migration and ensuring that businesses have the skills they need to support economic growth.

Marine Protected Areas: Fishing Vessels

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on the (a) nationality of vessels engaged and (b) type of fishing activity that took place in offshore marine protected areas in 2023; whether he has received reports of the use of (i) bottom trawls, (ii) dredges and (iii) other bottom-towed gear in offshore marine protected areas in the last two years; and if he will hold discussions with representatives of Oceana UK's illegal fishing and transparency team on monitoring fishing activity in marine protected areas.

Sir Mark Spencer: The management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is a devolved competency and the information provided therefore relates to England only. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) holds data on the nationality and fishing method used by all commercial fishing vessels in English waters. This data includes a combination of vessel monitoring system data and landings records. MMO monitors fishing activities, including within MPAs, on an ongoing basis. MMO is currently delivering an ambitious project to assess the impacts of, and where necessary, manage fishing activity in all English offshore MPAs. Part of this involves regular meetings with key stakeholders, including Oceana, and calls for evidence and public consultations.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Advertising

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of his Department’s (a) advertising and (b) marketing expenditure was on (i) local newspapers in print and online, (ii) national newspapers in print and online, (iii) social media, (iv) search engines, (v) broadcast and on-demand television and (vi) other channels in the most recent year for which data is available.

Sir Mark Spencer: Attached is a breakdown of the Department’s advertising and marketing expenditure broken down by channels for 2023/24. Marketing/advertising is an important part of delivering some of the Department’s policies. Advertising spend allows us to reach audiences in places and ways that ensure they are more responsive and open to hearing about our work and hopefully changing their attitudes and behaviours towards positive action.PQ 21745 attachment (pdf, 48.8KB)

Floods: Agriculture

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of recent flooding on (a) food production and (b) the health of livestock.

Sir Mark Spencer: The UK agricultural sector is highly resilient and adaptable and operates in an open market with the value of commodities established by those in the supply chain. The recent prolonged period of wet weather has impacted the UK arable and livestock sectors in several ways. These include late/limited planting opportunities for arable and horticulture crops; delayed turn out of grazing animals and the associated risk of diseases in keeping animals housed indoors for longer periods than usual, concerns about the potential scarcity and cost of straw; a build-up of stored slurry and reduced application opportunities; and wider concerns about the impact on mental health of farmers. Yields and productivity will also vary depending on individual farmer decisions, region, area and in the case of the arable sector, crop and soil type amongst other factors. A number of individual farms have clearly been affected by the wet weather. While the current market assessment is that there may be implications over the coming months for certain commodities, particularly in the expected yield and quality of several arable crops this summer/autumn, it is still too early to predict the full impact on domestic food production, especially if the weather improves in the coming weeks. We continue to monitor the on-going situation, working closely with the industry and through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group (UKAMMG). The UK AMMG held an interim meeting on 16 April to specifically consider the impacts of the weather on each commodity sector. The Farming Recovery Fund has been opened to provide farmers support to recover from uninsurable damage with grants of between £500 and £25,000 to return their land to the condition it was before exceptional flooding of Storm Henk. The fund was initially opened in nine English local authority areas where the Flood Recovery Framework has been activated to help farms which have experienced the highest levels of flooding. Eligibility for the Fund is actively under review. This forms part of a package of support available to farmers through the Flood Recovery Framework, including a grant of up to £2,500 through the Business Recovery Grant Scheme.  The UK Food Security Report (UKFSR) sets out an analysis of statistical data relating to food security, fulfilling the duty in the Agriculture Act 2020 to present a report on food security to Parliament at least once every three years. It examines trends relevant to food security to present the best available understanding. The report was last published in December 2021 and will next be published by December 2024. Starting this year, we are strengthening our food security monitoring by producing the Annual Food Security Index. This will complement the UKFSR with a shorter and more regular report. The first version will be published at the Farm to Fork Summit in the Spring. The next UKFSR, which will be published later this year, will include analysis on the risk of flooding to food security as part of its assessment of longer-term climate-related trends.

White Fish: Fishing Catches

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many vessels under eight metres in length are eligible for the pollack compensation scheme.

Sir Mark Spencer: According to the most up to date MMO landings data for 2023, there are 34 vessels under eight metres in length eligible for the compensation scheme. As there is finite funding available, the pollack compensation scheme is focused on providing funding to vessel owners whose income is mainly derived from pollack and who made at least 30% of their reported landings income in 2023 from pollack. The MMO are currently verifying data and will reach out to eligible vessel owners in the coming days. Fishers who believe they meet the requirements of this scheme but have not heard from MMO by Monday 29th April 2024 should contact MMO by sending an email to UKFisheriesSupport@marinemanagement.org.uk.

White Fish: Fishing Catches

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many vessels between eight and ten metres in length are eligible for the pollack compensation scheme.

Sir Mark Spencer: According to the most up to date MMO landings data for 2023, there are 11 vessels between eight and ten metres in length eligible for the compensation scheme. As there is finite funding available, the pollack compensation scheme is focused on providing funding to vessel owners whose income is mainly derived from pollack and who made at least 30% of their reported landings income in 2023 from pollack. The MMO are currently verifying data and will reach out to eligible vessel owners in the coming days. Fishers who believe they meet the requirements of this scheme but have not heard from MMO by Monday 29th April 2024 should contact MMO by sending an email to UKFisheriesSupport@marinemanagement.org.uk.

White Fish: Fishing Catches

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many vessels between 10 and 15 metres in length are eligible for the pollack compensation scheme.

Sir Mark Spencer: According to the most up to date Marine Management Organisation (MMO) landings data for 2023, there are three vessels between 10 and 15 metres in length eligible for the compensation scheme. As there is finite funding available, the pollack compensation scheme is focused on providing funding to vessel owners whose income is mainly derived from pollack and who made at least 30% of their reported landings income in 2023 from pollack. The MMO are currently verifying data and will reach out to eligible vessel owners in the coming days. Fishers who believe they meet the requirements of this scheme but have not heard from MMO by Monday 29th April 2024 should contact MMO by sending an email to UKFisheriesSupport@marinemanagement.org.uk.

Biodiversity: Lincolnshire

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reverse biodiversity loss in Lincolnshire.

Rebecca Pow: In England we have set four legally binding targets for biodiversity: to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030; then to reverse declines by 2042; to reduce the risk of species extinction by 2042; and restore or create more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat, also by 2042. These targets will drive actions to support biodiversity in Lincolnshire and every other area across England. We have set out our plan to deliver on these ambitious targets, along with our other environmental targets, in the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23) published 31 January 2023. Here we link the different objectives, plans and mechanisms for recovering nature. Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) are being prepared across the whole of England to support the delivery of these targets. The 48 strategies are bringing together local partners to agree priorities and propose practical actions in areas where they would have the most benefit for nature recovery and the wider environment. Preparation of the Greater Lincolnshire LNRS is being led by Lincolnshire County Council, with support from local planning authorities in the area and Natural England. The Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve (NNR) was declared in September 2023. The newly expanded NNR will enhance the nature and biodiversity of the Greater Lincolnshire coast making it a bigger, better and more joined up area for wildlife, through bringing together the Donna Nook and Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes Nature Reserves and adding a further 2350 hectares of land managed for nature conservation. The reserve supports many breeding and over-wintering birds, natterjack toads, special plants and insects. Additionally, the Environment Agency is working with partners to deliver the Upper Witham River and floodplain restoration projects (currently shortlisted for the River Restoration Centre award). Over the last 10 years, habitat along 19.4 km of river has been enhanced with 19 projects: from urban habitat improvement in Grantham, to large scale river and wetland restoration in rural areas.

White Fish: Fishing Catches

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many vessels over 15 metres in length are eligible for the pollack compensation scheme.

Sir Mark Spencer: According to the most up to date Marine Management Organisation (MMO) landings data for 2023, there are no vessels over 15 metres in length eligible for the compensation scheme. As there is finite funding available, the pollack compensation scheme is focused on providing funding to vessel owners whose income is mainly derived from pollack and who made at least 30% of their reported landings income in 2023 from pollack. The MMO are currently verifying data and will reach out to eligible vessel owners in the coming days. Fishers who believe they meet the requirements of this scheme but have not heard from MMO by Monday 29th April 2024 should contact MMO by sending an email to UKFisheriesSupport@marinemanagement.org.uk.

Swimming

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the guidance entitled Designate a bathing water: guidance on how to apply, published on 3 July 2023.

Robbie Moore: The updated bathing water guidance for England, published in July 2023, makes applying for bathing water designation clearer and more streamlined for applicants.The main changes to the designation guidance were:There must be at least 100 bathers a day at the site during the bathing season.Applicants must carry out user surveys on two days during the bathing season (15 May-30 September) to provide evidence of this.There must be access to toilet facilities within a short distance of up to 500m of the proposed bathing water site.Clearer guidance on seeking local views on proposals to designate sites as bathing waters.The introduction of an application form to make it easier for people to prepare their applications. Defra engages with a range of stakeholders on bathing waters and welcomes views on the application guidance.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Staff

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the ministerial department figures in his Department's workforce management information data for February and March 2023, for what reason the payroll staff numbers are different between the two months but the payroll staff costs are identical.

Sir Mark Spencer: March 2023 payroll costs were not available in time for inclusion in the March 2023 monthly workforce management information update, so February 2023 data was re-used as an estimate to be revised when the data had been received. Payroll staff costs for March 2023 have now been revised in the Defra workforce management information collection on GOV.UK to reflect the correct payroll staff costs.

Plastics: Production

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if the Government will take steps to support the establishment of (a) global and (b) national targets to reduce plastic production under the potential international plastics treaty under negotiation.

Robbie Moore: At the forthcoming round of negotiations in Canada, we will be continuing to support a treaty that will address the full lifecycle of plastic, including restraining and reducing the production and consumption of plastic to sustainable levels, addressing plastic design, and encouraging more reuse and recycling of plastic. As negotiations are ongoing and this is the first round of negotiations where treaty text will be negotiated, we cannot prejudge what will be agreed. The UK would support an overarching global target where the particular measures to reach the target are nationally determined. As a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, a group of over 60 countries calling for an ambitious and effective treaty, we will continue to participate actively in these negotiations.

Dangerous Dogs

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how his Department calculated its estimate of the number of dogs which would be affected by a ban on XL Bully dogs.

Sir Mark Spencer: Defra calculated its assessment of the number of dogs which would be affected by a ban on XL Bully dogs using evidence and data collated in consultation with key stakeholders.

Waste Management

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will meet Ebenezer Akore Yeboah of Coventry University to discuss single-use plastics, sorting waste and reducing power consumption.

Robbie Moore: In December 2018, the UK Government published its Resources and Waste Strategy. This sets out how we will achieve a circular economy for plastic and achieve our ambition to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste by 2042. Our goal is to maximise resource efficiency and minimise waste (including plastic) - by following the principles of the waste hierarchy: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. To help us achieve this goal, in October 2023, Defra banned the supply of single-use plastic plates, bowls, and trays to the end-user and banned the supply of single-use plastic cutlery and expanded and foamed extruded polystyrene food and drinks containers, including cups. We will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/ or materials to take a systematic approach to reducing the use of unnecessary single-use plastic products.We are preparing for the fourth round of negotiations in April, to develop a new legally binding UN treaty to end plastic pollution. As a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, the UK is pushing for an ambitious and effective UN Treaty to address the problem of plastic waste globally.I will ask my officials to write to Mr Akore Yeboah to discuss this matter further.

Wildlife: Conservation

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many hectares of new wildlife habitats have been (a) created and (b) restored since 31 January 2023.

Rebecca Pow: We do not currently have an estimate for habitat created and restored in 2023, the first year of the target. Data on habitat created and restored is not usually available by year end. We expect there to be a two-year lag before having a 'complete' count due to the time taken for data to be reported and the quality assurance process. In April, we published information about actions that will count toward our statutory habitat target, the list of wildlife rich habitats, and definitions of restoration and creation (available here). We are currently working with Natural England to set up a formal reporting system for monitoring progress towards our statutory habitat target. While we establish this formal reporting system, we are looking at whether we can collect a subset of data from Defra Group delivery mechanisms for ad hoc interim reporting.

Thames Water

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to help ensure that Thames Water continues to (a) operate, (b) provide services and (c) keep bills low for customers.

Robbie Moore: Customers will not experience any change or disruption to their water supply or wastewater services as a consequence of the financial position of their water company. There are long standing processes in place whereby the regulator must approve individual companies’ investment plans to ensure they deliver on their requirements in an efficient way.

Flood Control

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2024 to Question 20753 on Flood Control, how many schemes that went through an appraisal process have been deferred (a) in total and (b) to a date beyond the end of the current programme of works in March 2027; and when he plans to publish more information on those schemes.

Robbie Moore: I refer the Honourable member to the Answer of 15 April 2024 to Question 20753, which set out that delivery is the Government’s key priority, and we are working with the Environment Agency to review the programme in light of the impacts of inflation and the pandemic. More information will be available in due course.

Farmers: Floods

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what rules apply to compensation payments made to farmers affected by flooding from the (a) Farming Recovery Fund and (b) other schemes; and what mechanisms are in place to allow for a review when such payments have been refused.

Robbie Moore: The following rules apply to farmers eligible for support from the Farming Recovery Fund. Farmers will receive payments for all land parcels which are flooded contiguous to a river with notably high river level gauge readings following Storm Henk during 2 to 12 January 2024. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will determine those farm businesses who are eligible and the amount of funding they could claim. If there are questions, then the farmer should write to the RPA. More details on the rules and eligibility guidance on implementation of the support available for other schemes activated under the Flood Recovery Framework was sent to Local Authorities, who manage the support provided by the Framework where it has been activated. Further review of the scheme is underway. Support available for farm businesses and residencies includes: Where a farm operates a SME ancillary business which is severely impacted by flooding, they were eligible to receive up to £2,500 under the Business Recovery Grant in respect of the ancillary business. This scheme closed to new applications on 12 April.They can receive up to £5,000 to eligible flood hit property owners to help make their homes and businesses more resilient to future floods under the Property Flood Resilience Repair Grant; andThey may also be eligible for Business Rate Relief. These schemes are run by the relevant Local Authorities and any decisions on appeals should be directed to them to review.

Coastal Areas: Suffolk

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help maintain (a) Suffolk's coastline and (b) the cleanliness of bathing water.

Robbie Moore: The Government is investing £5.6 billion between 2021 and 2027 to better protect communities across England from flooding and coastal erosion, including around £1.3billion for defences along the coast. This investment includes a record £5.2 billion capital investment programme, a £200 million Flood and Coastal Innovation Programme (FCIP), £170 million for economic recovery from flooding and over £30 million of funding for flood incident management. It is not always sustainable or affordable to defend every part of our coastline in the face of a changing climate which is enhancing the coastal erosion process. This is why we have allocated £36m over 6 years, for the ‘Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme’ (CTAP), as part of FCIP, to support communities in coastal areas at significant risk of erosion to adapt. Coastal protection authorities are best placed to understand their coastline and to develop the most appropriate approaches to manage risk through Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) and their local planning policies. The Environment Agency (EA) work closely with Coastal Partnership East to monitor and deliver the Suffolk SMP to support the management of flooding and erosion on the Suffolk coast.  This includes delivery by East Suffolk Council and partners of the FCIP ‘Resilient Coasts project as well as the recent completion of a £2.3 million project protecting Felixstowe Ferry. The EA are supporting the East Suffolk Water Management Board to deliver the £12.2 million Upper Alde and Ore Estuary Project, which will protect Snape and Aldeburgh, and are also working with partners to develop projects for Pakefield, Southwold and Thorpeness. The Government is committed to improving the quality of our bathing waters. Almost 90% of bathing waters in England met the highest standards of ‘Good' or ‘Excellent’ in 2023, up from just 76% in 2010 and despite the classification standards becoming stricter in 2015. Suffolk has 7 designated bathing waters; last season 5 were classified as ‘Excellent’, 1 was classified as ‘Good’ and 1 was classified as ‘Poor’. The Environment Agency assesses what action is needed to improve water quality to meet the standards set by the Bathing Water Regulations. Action plans are in place at all ‘Poor’ bathing waters, including the River Deben Estuary, Waldringfield in Suffolk. This includes investigations into pollution sources and visits to farms and water company assets.

Microplastics: Water

Sir Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his planned timetable is for publication of the report on improving sampling and analysis of microplastics in surface waters and sediments.

Robbie Moore: The report has been published. It can be accessed via Defra’s Science Search web site - Measurement and Characterisation of Microplastics in English River Catchment Waters and Sediments - WT15135 (defra.gov.uk).

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: ICT

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the policy paper entitled Transforming for a digital future: 2022 to 2025 roadmap for digital and data, updated on 29 February 2024, what steps his Department has taken to mitigate the risks of red-rated legacy IT systems.

Sir Mark Spencer: The Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), in the Cabinet Office, has established a programme to support departments managing legacy IT. CDDO has agreed a frame-work to identify ‘red-rated’ systems, indicating high levels of risk surrounding certain assets within the IT estate. Departments have committed to have remediation plans in place for these systems by next year (2025). It is not appropriate to release sensitive information held about specific red-rated systems or more detailed plans for remediation within Defra’s IT estate, as this information could indicate which systems are at risk and may highlight potential security vulnerabilities.

Marine Environment: Finance

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what is the annual funding for (a) coastal and marine restoration projects and (b) regenerative ocean activities; and if he will publish a breakdown of how this funding is spent.

Robbie Moore: Defra funded two coastal and marine restoration projects under its flagship R&D Marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment Programme, at a cost of £2.1m in FY23/24. These projects are looking at the natural capital approaches to support local and strategic planning for marine recovery (£1.1m) and regional restoration plans for estuaries and coasts (£1m). Defra and the Environment Agency are supporting blue carbon restoration efforts through various initiatives, for example by investing £750,000 over two years to facilitate domestic blue carbon habitat restoration. As part of this, the Environmental Agency’s Restoring Meadow, Marsh and Reef (ReMeMaRe) initiative aims to reverse centuries of decline of our estuarine and coastal habitats by restoring seagrass meadows, saltmarsh and native oyster reef. The Environment Agency and partners are working on options for additional work to support saltmarsh restoration through the Water Environment Improvement Fund.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of levels of bovine tuberculosis.

Sir Mark Spencer: Bovine TB is a devolved policy matter. The latest bovine TB statistics published on GOV.UK, which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/bovine-tb, continue to show a gradually improving picture in most headline indicators for England overall and particularly in the High Risk Area and the Edge Area. In 2023 the lowest annual incidence of TB in cattle herds in England was recorded since 2007. In the Low Risk Area, the incidence and prevalence of TB in cattle herds remain very low and stable. During the 2023 calendar year, just over 20,000 cattle were slaughtered for TB-related reasons in England, having peaked at 34,500 in 2018.

Solid Fuels: Air Pollution

Martin Vickers: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report entitled Emission Factors for Domestic Solid Fuels Project - Work Package 1 Report, published on 3 January 2024.

Robbie Moore: We continue to undertake regular monitoring of emission sources of air pollutants to inform future policy. The results from Work Package 1 of this project are preliminary. An assessment of the implications for policies will be considered after the project is complete.

Flowers: Diseases

Sir Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what was the process for declaring imports of (a) Orchidaceae, (b) Dendranthema, (c) Dianthus, (d) Gypsophila and (e) Solidago from the EU as medium risk.

Sir Mark Spencer: Defra have undertaken the risk modelling necessary to categorise commodities, advised by an expert panel comprised of risk analysts, risk managers and policy representatives from the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the Food Standards Agency (which advises the UK and Welsh Governments), and Food Standards Scotland, alongside public health and disease control policy experts from the UK Health Security Agency and from the UK, Welsh and Scottish Governments. The categorisation is based on the inherent risk (high, medium or low) that the commodity poses to animal and plant health, food safety, alongside any specific risk from the country/region of origin. The categorisation approach draws on a range of data including disease outbreak data, known public health risks, transmission data, trade restrictions, non-compliance data and our confidence in the exporting country’s production standards and health controls, among other sources.

Water Supply: Sustainable Development

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the sustainability of the future water supply.

Robbie Moore: Last year, regional water resources groups and water companies, consulted on their draft water resources plans. These statutory plans set out how each company will secure water supplies sustainably for at least the next 25 years. Within the plans, water companies consider all options, including demand management and new water resources infrastructure. The draft plans show how the Government’s water demand targets will be met, including reducing leaks, and contain proposals for multiple new water resources infrastructure schemes, such as reservoirs, by 2050. Further information on the water resources plans can be found in the Environment Agency’s Summary of England’s draft regional and water resources management plan published in March 2024.

Recreation Spaces and Water

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many and what proportion of the population have access to (a) green space and (b) water within 15 minutes walk fromhome.

Rebecca Pow: The data we currently use on the number and proportion of people with access to greenspace is taken from Natural England’s Green Infrastructure (GI) Framework analysis. Natural England’s G3 Indicator report shows that as of October 2021, the proportions of the total population in England living within Accessible Greenspace Standards ‘criteria’ (straight line distances from the boundary of the greenspaces) are: • 1 in 3 people live within 200 metres of a doorstep greenspace of at least 0.5 hectares• 1 in 4 people live within 300 metres of a local natural greenspace of at least 2 hectares• 1 in 2 people live within 1 km of a neighbourhood natural greenspace of at least 10 hectares. We are currently working to establish a robust baseline of walkability to green and blue space, including working with NE and with the Rivers Trust to create data on blue space access points. In August we will publish an official statistic in development on walkability within England to the nearest green space. This will use network analysis to calculate travel time/distance rather than straight-line distances, and enhanced use of data on the rights-of-way network. For full details see https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/access-to-green-space-in-england.

Marine Protected Areas

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the effectiveness of regulations on the quality of Marine Protected Areas.

Rebecca Pow: The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential.

Plastics: Packaging

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce the amount of plastic packaging produced in the UK.

Robbie Moore: Reducing the use of single use plastic packaging produced in the UK is a key ambition of this Government. In December 2018, the UK Government published its Resources and Waste Strategy. This sets out how we will achieve a circular economy for plastic and achieve our ambition to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste by 2042. Our goal is to maximise resource efficiency and minimise waste (including plastic) - by following the principles of the waste hierarchy: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. To help us achieve this goal, in October 2023, Defra banned the supply of single-use plastic plates, bowls, and trays to the end-user and banned the supply of single-use plastic cutlery and expanded and foamed extruded polystyrene food and drinks containers, including cups. The UK Government and the Devolved Administrations have also committed to introduce Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging. This will make producers of packaging, responsible for the costs of collecting and managing packaging when it becomes waste. This will encourage businesses to think carefully about how much packaging they use, to design and use packaging that is easily recyclable, and to use reusable packaging. In using more easily recyclable and reuseable packaging, producers will pay less. To tackle the use of virgin plastics, the Government brought in the Plastic Packaging Tax in April 2022, a tax of over £200 per tonne on plastic packaging manufactured in, or imported into the UK, that does not contain at least 30% recycled plastic. We have since increased the tax to £217.85 per tonne and will continue to monitor the situation and adjust accordingly.

Swimming

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to publish the list of successful new bathing water sites following the consultation which closed on 10 March.

Robbie Moore: Defra plans to publish the outcomes of the consultation on the designation of 27 proposed bathing sites by the start of the 2024 bathing season, which begins on 15 May.

Rights of Way: Appeals

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of appeals dealt with by local authorities with respect to amending definitive maps of public rights of way in the last 12 months; and whether he is issued recent guidance to local authorities on dealing with such requests.

Rebecca Pow: The Planning Inspectorate considers appeals for definitive map modification orders on behalf of the Secretary of State in accordance with Schedule 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. In 2023-24 the Planning Inspectorate considered 21 appeals with 19 decisions issued. Guidance on Schedule 14 appeals can be found here. Further guidance for local authorities can be found in Rights of Way Circular 1/09 here.

Plastics: Waste

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress her Department has made on achieving its target to eliminate avoidable plastic waste by the end of 2042.

Robbie Moore: We are making progress to address this concerning issue. In December 2018, the UK Government published its Resources and Waste Strategy. This sets out how we will achieve a circular economy for plastic and achieve our ambition to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste by 2042. Our goal is to maximise resource efficiency and minimise waste (including plastic) - by following the principles of the waste hierarchy: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – to keep plastic in circulation for longer. We will do this by making producers more responsible for the plastic they make with our incoming Collection and Packaging Reforms. Single-use plastics are a particularly problematic type of plastic that makes up much of our waste. To get us closer to our ambition to eliminate all avoidable plastic waste by 2042, we have introduced bans on the supply of many unnecessary single-use plastic items. We implemented one of the world’s toughest bans on microbeads in rinse-off personal care products and brought in measures to restrict the supply of plastic straws, plastic drink stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds in October 2020. The use of single-use carrier bags has been reduced in the main supermarkets by over 98% with our five pence charge. In May 2021 we increased the charge to 10 pence and extended it to all retailers to build on its success to date and create a level playing field for all businesses. In October 2023 we introduced a ban on the supply of single-use plastic plates, bowls, and trays to the end-user and ban the supply of single-use plastic cutlery and single-use plastic balloon sticks and expanded and extruded polystyrene food and drinks containers, including cups. We will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/ or materials to take a systematic approach to reducing the use of unnecessary single-use plastic products. We are preparing for the fourth round of negotiations in April, to develop a new legally binding UN treaty to end plastic pollution. As a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, the UK is pushing for an ambitious and effective UN Treaty to address the problem of plastic waste globally.

Hedges and Ditches: Conservation

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to protect (a) hedgerow habitats and (b) associated species.

Rebecca Pow: Hedgerows are important ecological and environmental building blocks across our landscapes. As set out in the Environment Improvement Plan (EIP), Defra will support farmers to create or restore at least 30,000 miles of hedgerows by 2037, increasing to 45,000 miles of hedgerows by 2050. On the 16 April the Government laid before Parliament new regulations that will place management practices for hedgerows on agricultural land into legislation. These practices include a cutting ban between 1 March and 31 August to protect nesting birds during this period, and a 2m buffer strip around a hedge where green cover must be established and maintained to protect the health of the hedge and the wildlife that use it. The new regulations will be supplemented by actions being undertaken by many through Environmental Land Management schemes. There are now over 55,920 miles of hedgerows with one or both sides managed under 16,000 Countryside Stewardship and Sustainable Farm Incentive agreements.

Property Flood Resilience Scheme

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of maintaining the maximum flood resilience repair grant at £5000 on (a) levels of take up and (b) the type of property covered.

Robbie Moore: When activated, the Defra PFR Repair Grant Scheme provides for up to £5000 as a contribution towards making a property more flood resilient. It is intended as a one-off payment to assist households and business to put place in measures that will provide greater resilience to future floods. It is not intended as compensation for flooding. Property owners can choose to add to the available grant to implement further PFR measures in their property. There is a reasonable expectation that property owners will take steps, including having suitable insurance, which may now include an additional up to £10,000 for resilient repairs under the Build Back Better scheme. The level of grant is kept under review and for the recent activations of the scheme we have increased the amount that can be claimed as part of the £5,000 grant to enable PFR surveys to be undertaken.

Property Flood Resilience Scheme

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the eligibility criteria for the Property Flood Resilience repair grant scheme changed from 25 affected properties to 50; and whether his Department made an assessment of the potential impact of changing the eligibility criteria on the number of properties that would no longer be eligible before making the change.

Robbie Moore: The activation of the schemes in 2019 and 2020 was based on a qualifying criteria of 25 homes per local authority (including District level). Feedback from local authorities following those schemes suggested that some reported that they missed out on financial support under the 2019/20 activations of the FRF because they did not meet the 25 flooded homes threshold, but they would have qualified if all flooded properties (both domestic and commercial) were considered eligible, which disadvantage small rural district authorities due to property density in those areas. As a result, the FRF was revised in 2021 and published on 28 October, recognising these issues. Eligibility was to be based on flooded properties, both domestic and commercial, across LLFA geographies. The 50 flooded property threshold at LLFA area was introduced as part of the FRF and PFR Grant activation in respect of Storm Babet in October 2023, and has resulted in properties in many districts that would have been excluded under the previous threshold being able to participate.

Sewage: Waste Disposal

Selaine Saxby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who is responsible for defining the content of storm overflow discharges.

Selaine Saxby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason a storm overflow that is at least 95% rainwater is defined as raw sewage.

Selaine Saxby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to test storm overflow water to ensure that it is accurately defined.

Robbie Moore: Storm overflows are permitted by the Environment Agency (EA) following our published guidance. Discharges from storm overflows as are referred to as “storm sewage”, which in most part is the combination of “foul sewage” (domestic and trade wastewater) and “rainfall runoff”. Under the Environment Act 2021, sewerage undertakers will be required to monitor sewerage assets and the impact they have on the local environment. In April 2023, we consulted on Continuous Water Quality Monitoring and Event Duration Monitoring. Our consultation response published in September 2023 detailed our plans for a new water quality monitoring programme, which will place a duty on water companies to publish near real time information on the impact of sewage discharges.

Farmers: Finance

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what financial assistance he is making available to farmers following recent extended wet weather.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has provided financial assistance to farmers to repair flood damage.

Robbie Moore: The Farming Recovery Fund has been opened to provide farmers support to recover from uninsurable damage with grants of between £500 and £25,000 to return their land to the condition it was before exceptional flooding of Storm Henk. The fund was initially opened in nine English local authority areas where the Flood Recovery Framework has already been activated to help farms which have experienced the highest levels of flooding, and the eligibility for the Fund remains under review. This forms part of a package of support available to farmers through the Flood Recovery Framework, including a grant of up to £2,500 through the Business Recovery Grant Scheme.

Electronic Cigarettes: Environment Protection

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on the environment of non-compliant vapes.

Robbie Moore: As confirmed by the Government response to the consultation on Creating a Smokefree Generation and Tackling Youth Vaping consultation, Defra is leading on implementing a ban on disposable or single-use vapes due to the environmental harm caused by these devices. On 11 March draft regulations were published along with an impact assessment, which set out the main environmental concerns. Single-use vapes are an inefficient use of finite raw materials, they are inherently difficult to recycle and are often discarded incorrectly. When littered they pose a risk to soil, water and biodiversity and are a fire risk when thrown into residual waste. A report published by Defra earlier this year provides a broader assessment of the environmental impacts of single-use vapes and can be found online here: Analysis of the market for vapes: exploring the environmental impacts of single-use vapes - EV0157 (defra.gov.uk). Defra has not made any environmental assessment of current non-compliant vapes.

Water: Standards

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it remains his policy to increase Defra host funding for catchment partnerships.

Robbie Moore: Last year we announced in the Plan for Water to increase funding for catchment groups, to deliver tailored long-term catchment action plans to improve all water bodies in England. This remains the government’s policy. The around 100 Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) Partnerships across England are critical partners in delivering many of the Government’s goals in the Environment Improvement Plan, including clean and plentiful water. At present the government annually provides approximately £1.7m funding to Catchment Partnerships as well as the CaBa National Support Group to deliver water outcomes on the ground. We also provide additional funding to Catchment Partnerships through the Water Environment Improvement Fund to deliver projects on the ground. Additionally, earlier this month Defra launched the Water Restoration Fund, to which eligible Catchment Partnerships may apply for funding for projects to restore and enhance the water environment, using environmental fines and penalties collected from water and sewerage companies.

Clean Air Zones

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of clean air zones on levels of air pollution.

Robbie Moore: The latest air quality data was published in September 2023 as part of the 2022 National Compliance assessment, and is publicly available on the DEFRA UK Air website at the following link: Air Pollution in the UK report - Defra, UK. The 2022 Evaluation of Local NO2 Plans, published in February 2024, provides information regarding the impacts of clean air zones, and is publicly available on the DEFRA website at the following link: Evaluation of Local NO2 Plans - AQ0851 (defra.gov.uk)

Department for Work and Pensions

Carer's Allowance: Overpayments

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people received fines for overpayment of Carer's Allowance in (a) 2020, (b) 2021, (c) 2022, (d) 2023 and (e) as of 1 April 2024; and what was the total amount of these fines.

Paul Maynard: Claimants have a responsibility to ensure they are entitled to benefits they claim and to inform the DWP of any changes in their circumstances that could impact their award. Overpayments occur when an individual receives a payment they are not entitled to. The fines imposed by DWP for overpayments vary depending on the circumstances of the overpayment. Administrative Penalties may be offered by the fraud investigator as an alternative to a prosecution in certain cases where there has been benefit fraud or attempted benefit fraud. The table below provides the volume and value of Administrative Penalties accepted due to an overpayment of Carer’s Allowance, by financial year. Financial YearsVolume of Administrative PenaltiesValue2020/2164£114.4k2021/2243£80.2k2022/2343£81.3k2023/2475£140.8k For cases of claimant error, a £50 Civil Penalty may be imposed by DWP where an individual incurs an overpayment as a result of failing to provide accurate information and have not taken reasonable steps to correct the error. The table below provides the volume and value of Civil Penalties given due to an overpayment of Carer’s Allowance, by financial year. Financial YearsVolume of Civil PenaltiesValue2020/2114.9k£0.747m2021/2226.3k£1.309m2022/2324.8k£1.241m2023/2430.1k£1.506m Note that our latest figures show there are approximately 1.4 million people claiming Carer’s Allowance. The data provided for this response is for the volume of penalties, and it is important to note that individuals can receive more than one penalty. Data been sourced from internal DWP management information, which is intended only to help the Department to manage its business. It is not intended for publication and has not been subject to the same quality assurance checks applied to our published official statistics. Our analysis has not captured a small but unknown number of penalties that are logged as debts in their own right on the debt MI system. Our understanding is that this approach is rarely used for Carer’s Allowance. More information about DWP penalties policy can be found here: Penalties policy: in respect of social security fraud and error - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

National Insurance Contributions: Databases

Dame Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paragraph 3.21 of the report by the National Audit Office entitled Department for Work and Pensions Accounts 2022-23, published on 6 July 2023, how many and what proportion of the incorrect National Insurance records have (a) been and (b) not yet been updated.

Jo Churchill: To date we have processed over 23 million pieces of data to HMRC and less than 1% (0.88%) needs data validations. We expect this will be completed by Summer 2024.

Employment: Women

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help support women in Hornsey and Wood Green constituency to return to work after a career break.

Jo Churchill: Local Jobcentre teams are supporting residents into work and helping those in work to progress to higher paid jobs. We are working with local and national employers to help fill vacancies quickly, delivering Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), recruitment days, Job Fairs, and work trials, all of which can help support women to return to work after a career break. In addition, one to one support from a Work Coach and Contracted Employment Programmes, the department also offers help with CVs and employability skills, mentoring circles for people aged 50 plus and support with childcare costs. Where a Work Coach identifies a barrier to securing or progressing in employment, they can use the Flexible Support Fund (FSF) to procure clothing, tools, digital devices, and to help with travel to work costs. In Haringey, we are working with the Construction Youth Trust to support more women into construction roles, with referrals made by Jobcentres across the borough, and funding available to support women who want to work in this sector. To help facilitate signposting discussions with claimants, staff have access to a database of national and local support information, the District Provision Tool as well as the new Managed Jobs and Opportunities which ensures that claimants can access tailored support where required. This includes provision aimed at women across London such as Dress for Success, a service that supports women to improve their confidence when attending interviews and Smart Works, a UK charity that provides high quality interview clothes and interview training to unemployed women. We are also working with Transport for London and the College of North East London on their Women into Transportation and Engineering provision. This provides two weeks of pre-employment training, covering CV writing, and workplace skills, plus a Smart Works coaching and styling appointment designed to give participants the confidence to apply for the roles offered within the programme

Universal Credit

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has undertaken an impact assessment on the roll out of Universal Credit to Tax Credit claimants including those that are farmers.

Jo Churchill: Universal Credit (UC) was legislated for in 2012. We continue to learn and iterate our approach as we progress our Move to UC activity and remain committed to ensuring that the transition to UC works as smoothly as possible for all individuals. Latest findings of the Move to UC process were published here: Move to Universal Credit – insight on Tax Credit migrations and initial Discovery activity for wider benefit cohorts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)”

State Retirement Pensions: Women

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the report entitled Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice and associated issues published by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman on 21 March 2024, HC 638.

Paul Maynard: In laying the report before Parliament at the end of March, the Ombudsman has brought matters to the attention of this House, and a further update to the House will be provided once the report's findings have been fully considered.

Department for Work and Pensions: Fraud

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to reduce the costs of fraud in his Department in the last three financial years.

Paul Maynard: We are committed to tackling fraud which is why in May 2022 the Department launched a robust plan to drive down fraud and error from the benefits system, alongside investment of £900 million that will deliver £2.4 billion of savings by the end of 2024/25. This plan includes proposed powers to require the transfer of data from third-parties, which has been introduced as part of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill (No.2). This legislation is forecast to save up to an additional £600m over the Treasury scorecard period. The Department has set out a target to deliver £1.3bn in savings from our dedicated counter-fraud and error resource in 2023/24 as set out in the department’s Annual Reports and Accounts.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of waiting times to speak to the Disability Service Centre.

Mims Davies: Telephony is our customers’ primary channel to contact us. We continually assess the number of calls we are receiving and the associated waiting times, deploying resources accordingly to support service levels wherever this is possible.However, due to recent higher volumes of calls than forecast, from the 24th of April and throughout May, we are deploying dedicated telephony specific resource to the Personal Independent Payment telephony lines which will give better support when dealing with sudden increases in traffic.

Private Rented Housing: Social Security Benefits

Jonathan Gullis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) restrictions and (b) guidance are in place for landlords renting out properties to immediate family members and receiving (i) housing benefit and (ii) universal credit for that property.

Mims Davies: To be eligible for support with housing costs in Housing Benefit and Universal Credit, claimants must be liable for making payment of rent on a commercial basis. A claimant can receive support with housing costs if that test is satisfied and liability is to a close relative, but only where that relative does not live in the same property as the claimant. Guidance setting this out is available on Gov.uk.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Personal Independence Payment

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in (a) Preston, (b) Lancashire and (c) England have (i) applied for and (ii) received Personal Independence Payments for inflammatory bowel disease in each year since 2020.

Mims Davies: The latest available data on personal independence payment (PIP) clearances and awards can be found here. The requested data can be found on the ‘PIP Clearances’ dataset by going to ‘Geography’, ‘National – Regional – LAs – OAs’ and following the drop downs to the relevant areas. Similarly, you can filter for those with inflammatory bowel disease through ‘Disability’, ‘Gastrointestinal disease’ and selecting ‘Inflammatory bowel disease’. To further filter just for those awarded, you can go to ‘Clearance Type Detail’ and select ‘Awarded’. A lookup which shows which Local Authorities are in Lancashire is available here. Data is based on primary disabling condition as recorded on the PIP computer systems. Claimants may often have multiple disabling conditions upon which the decision is based but only the primary condition is shown in these statistics. Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here. An account is not required to use Stat- Xplore, the ‘Guest Login’ feature gives instant access to the main functions.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Employment and Support Allowance

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people (a) applied for and (b) received employment and support allowance for inflammatory bowel disease in (i) Preston, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) England in each year since 2020.

Mims Davies: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits

Tahir Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help people claim each benefit to which they are entitled.

Jo Churchill: GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) provides information on eligibility and how to make a claim for benefits, including signposting to telephony routes (including textphone and Relay UK) for people who are unable to complete forms online. There are videos on the DWP YouTube channel that provide further information on a range of benefits including Personal Independence Payment, Universal Credit, Winter Fuel Payment, Pension Credit and DLA for Children and these explain how to claim and what to expect once a claim has been made. Guidance on GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) includes information on benefits people may be able to claim and other financial support. This includes housing support, help with council tax and direct payments for social care. Where appropriate DWP letters include signposting to additional help and support.

Workplace Pensions

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact for his Department's policies of defined benefit pensions.

Paul Maynard: The defined benefit pensions landscape remains central for the retirement plans of millions of current and future pensioners. There have been significant changes over recent years and the Government has been alive to the resulting risks and opportunities. The revised DB funding arrangements, which will be implemented in the Autumn, will help to keep members hard earned benefits safe and support the vision set out in our recent DB consultations to ensure that assets can work as hard as possible for the benefit of members, sponsoring employers, and the wider economy.

Pension Protection Fund

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to extend (a) member and (b) trade union representation to the Board of the Pension Protection Fund.

Paul Maynard: There is no legal requirement for the Board of the Pension Protection Fund to include member or trade union representation, and there are no plans to extend representation to these groups. The Pension Protection Fund does, however, have Member Panels – which Board members are invited to attend – to enable members to feed in views on the service offered and thoughts about changes that could be made in the future.

Attendance Allowance

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing recipients of Attendance Allowance to report a change in circumstances digitally.

Paul Maynard: The modernisation of Retirement Services, which includes Attendance Allowance, forms a key part of DWP’s Service Modernisation Programme. A key objective of the programme is to understand how existing services - such as Attendance Allowance - should operate in the future and understand how and whether services, including reporting change of circumstances, can be accessed by citizens more quickly and easily online.

State Retirement Pensions: Databases

Dame Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in his Department are responsible for manually updating records relevant to eligibility for the State Pension.

Paul Maynard: This information is only available at disproportionate cost to The Department for Work & Pensions as the Department does not have a business requirement for this information to be retained.

State Retirement Pensions: Underpayments

Dame Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average value was of an underpayment of the State Pension due to incorrectly updated National Insurance records in the 2022-23 financial year.

Paul Maynard: This response covers both missing Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) and UC National Insurance issues. The exercise to correct National Insurance records for those individuals impacted by errors in their HRP record is underway. The HRP corrections exercise started with HMRC dispatching letters in late 2023. Cases subsequently notified from HMRC started being processed in DWP in early 2024. In the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts 2022-2023, the central estimate value of an underpayment was £5,000 for alive cases above state pension age and £3,000 for deceased cases. We intend to publish an update on the exercise in this year’s Annual Report and Accounts. DWP has corrected the UC data issue for the cases impacted for the tax years up to and including the tax year 2022/2023. This data has been shared with HMRC. As HMRC updates NI records, these updates are sent to DWP. Any State Pension entitlement will be reassessed, and any underpayment addressed accordingly.

State Retirement Pensions: Underpayments

Dame Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were underpaid the State Pension due to incorrectly updated National Insurance records in the 2022-23 financial year; and what the total amount is that these people are owed.

Paul Maynard: This response covers both missing Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) and UC National Insurance issues. The exercise to correct National Insurance records for those individuals impacted by errors in their HRP record is underway. The HRP corrections exercise started with HMRC dispatching letters in late 2023. Cases subsequently notified from HMRC started being processed in DWP in early 2024. In the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts 2022-2023, the central estimate was around 187,000 cases who may have an underpayment of State Pension and for whom we expect to correct, with a total underpayment estimate of £1,043 million. We intend to publish an update on the exercise in this year’s Annual Report and Accounts. DWP has corrected the UC data issue for the cases impacted for the tax years up to and including the tax year 2022/2023. This data has been shared with HMRC. As HMRC updates NI records, these updates are sent to DWP. Any State Pension entitlement will be reassessed, and any underpayment addressed accordingly.

Social Security Benefits: Chronic Illnesses

Carol Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill on the (a) physical and (b) mental wellbeing of people with (i) M.E. and (ii) other chronic diseases.

Paul Maynard: The department has assessed the impact of the third-party data measure in the regulatory impact assessment scrutinised and green-rated by the Regulatory Policy Committee. This was published on the 27th November 2023 as part of the supporting documentation for the Data Protection and Information Bill and is available here: Data Protection and Digital Information Bill: supporting documents - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The department has fulfilled all the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) as set out in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 and in line with our statutory duty keeps the impact of this measure on groups with protected characteristics under continuous review. In 22/23, DWP overpaid over £8bn due to fraud and error. This is unacceptable and we are taking robust steps to tackle this. The third party data legislation we are seeking is one such approach. The focus of this power will be about finding signals of potential benefit fraud and error.The measure does not target a particular group of benefit claimant and we have tried and tested safeguarding procedures to protect vulnerable groups and will follow business as usual processes.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Housing: Birmingham

Tahir Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department took to increase levels of housebuilding in Birmingham in 2023.

Lee Rowley: The Department has consistently set the conditions for the building of homes – and building them in the right places, including the revision of the NPPF in December 2023 and the Written Ministerial Statement on a long-term plan for housing in February 2024. Beyond that, Birmingham City Council is responsible for setting the plan for building the houses the city needs.

Buildings: Fire Prevention

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department published on the treatment of jointly owned properties under the Building Safety Act's leaseholder protections, prior to his Department's Call for evidence: Jointly owned properties, published on 21 March 2024.

Lee Rowley: The Building Safety Act can be found here: Building Safety Act 2022 (legislation.gov.uk).

Buildings: Fire Prevention

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that signatories of the developer remediation contract are taking responsibility for buildings where they are a contractor.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many audits his Department has conducted under the Developer Self Remediation Terms in relation to (a) building assessments and (b) post-remediation qualifying assessments between April 2023 and March 2024.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many audits conducted by his Department from April 2023 to March 2024 under the Developer Self Remediation Terms have required the developer to undertake corrective action in relation to (a) Building and (b) Post-remediation Qualifying Assessments.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that developers who began work under Self Remediation Terms before 6 April 2024 continue to make progress on that work.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that best practice under the developer remediation contract is (a) captured and (b) shared.

Lee Rowley: Publicly available data on the developer contract can be found here.The Department encourages developers to discuss challenges and successes with the oversight team. Best practice examples are shared with other developers as appropriate.

Buildings: Fire Prevention

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of weeks to obtain planning permission for building safety remediation works following the transition to a new Building Safety Regulator on 6 April 2024.

Lee Rowley: Building regulations approval is separate from planning permission.

Refugees: Afghanistan

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many Afghans under the (a) Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and (b) Afghan citizens resettlement scheme are in temporary accommodation provided under local authority homelessness provision.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the oral statement by the Minister for Veteran's Affairs on Resettlement of Afghans of 19 September 2023, Official Report, column 1253, how many and what proportion of the Afghans that were housed in temporary accommodation under the local authority homelessness provision on 19 September 2023 have since been moved into permanent accommodation.

Felicity Buchan: The department continues to monitor homelessness in these groups, and further data will be published on this in due course. This will be available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-management-information-afghan-nationals-england.We publish data on this subject on an ad hoc basis that is voluntarily provided by local authorities. The last time information was published was in September 2023 and related to 1 July 2023 to 31 August 2023. This data was published to monitor the success of the move of Afghans out of hotels into settled accommodation.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Fraud

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department has taken to reduce the costs of fraud in his Department in the last three financial years.

Simon Hoare: The Government is determined to uncover fraud in the public sector and is proud of its record.As part of this, the Government established the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA). In 22/23 the PSFA set a target of delivering £180 million of savings to the taxpayer. In fact the PSFA far surpassed this within the first 12 months by preventing and recovering £311 million. As it enters its second year, the PSFA has a target of achieving £185 million of savings for the taxpayer.The Government has also announced an additional £34 million to deploy cutting edge tools and Artificial Intelligence tools to help combat fraud across the public sector, saving £100 million for the public purse. This is in addition to existing partnerships between PSFA and the tech sector.

Political Parties: Advertising

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his policy to ban party political adverts from video streaming services.

Simon Hoare: Political advertising is a fundamental part of any democratic system and is an established way for political parties and campaigners to connect with the public and have their message heard.The ban on paid political advertising on television and radio (introduced in the Communications Act 2003) continues to be supported across the political spectrum as it levels the playing field in political campaigning.The Government remains committed to protecting the integrity of our democracy and continues to keep campaigning rules under close review to ensure that digital campaigning remains transparent and fair.

Construction: Architecture

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his policy to facilitate greater involvement of architects in the development stage of new housing schemes.

Lee Rowley: National planning policy makes clear that local authorities should prepare their own local design codes in line with the principles set out in the National Design Guide and National Model Design Code, which can define what well-designed new development means in their local area.The NPPF and supporting National Design Guide and National Model Design Code emphasise that effective engagement between local authorities, communities, applicants and other interests, such as architects, throughout the design process, including the preparation of design codes, is helpful to achieving well designed and sustainable new development.

Housing: Construction

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure standards of (a) quality and (b) sustainability in new housing developments.

Lee Rowley: The Government legislated through the Building Safety Act 2022 to provide for a statutory New Homes Ombudsman and accompanying Code of Practice that set out expectations of scheme members around standards of conduct and standards of quality of work.

Buildings: Fire Prevention

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what data his Department holds on the number of buildings expected to have remediation paid for by a building owner that meets (a) the Developer Test (b) the Contribution Condition as of 15 April 2024.

Lee Rowley: Data on Building Safety Remediation progress is published on gov.uk.

Stewart Milne Group

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of Stewart Milne Homes Northwest England (Developments) entering administration on building safety remediation in England.

Lee Rowley: If the Hon Gentleman has specific concerns, we would be happy to receive them.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Marketing

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what proportion of his Department’s (a) advertising and (b) marketing expenditure was on (i) local newspapers in print and online, (ii) national newspapers in print and online, (iii) social media, (iv) search engines, (v) broadcast and on-demand television and (vi) other channels in the most recent year for which data is available.

Simon Hoare: The data requested is not held centrally.

Public Houses

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the impact of his Department's funding for Pub Is The Hub on local communities.

Jacob Young: The Government recognises the important role of support organisations such as Pub is The Hub in helping local communities create and maintain vital community assets. Pub is The Hub has received funding from the department previously and their work demonstrates the wider role which pubs can play in running local services, nurturing community relationships, and helping communities to thrive socially and economically.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what criteria a company must meet in order to be included on the Homes England Fire Risk Assessor Panel and authorised to carry out FRAEWs for buildings in the Cladding Safety Scheme.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether any companies have been removed from the Homes England Fire Risk Assessor Panel for the Cladding Safety Scheme.

Lee Rowley: To join the Fire Risk Assessor Panel firms must sign a participation agreement which sets out the terms for the panel and eligibility criteria. Along with agreeing to follow Homes England processes set out in the scheme guidance and use the correct scheme documents, firms must have:Relevant professional qualification to undertake fire risk appraisals as per PAS 9980 guidanceAccess to chartered engineers to perform complex assessments when neededISO 9001 approach to quality controlProfessional Indemnity InsuranceMembership is renewed annually with firms having to provide evidence of their PII insurance and self-certification of qualifications and experience of firm assessors. The use of PAS 9980 and proportionality is assured by sample audit.Since the scheme went live, four firms have left the panel through their own accord. Two pulled out due to resourcing issues and their inability to commit to meeting service level agreements and two others left due to them not receiving any business from being on the panel.To date, Homes England have not had to remove any firms due to performance however Homes England can exercise this option should they need to.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to respond to the letters of 9 February and 13 March 2024 from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare on behalf of a constituent relating to building costs.

Lee Rowley: I hope my Hon Friend will accept my apologies for my delay in responding to him. I instructed departmental officials to look into this case so that we could respond in full, which I did so on 19 April 2024.

Local Government Finance: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department have made an assessment of the impact of the local government finance settlement on Havering Council.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of the state of Havering Council’s finances.

Simon Hoare: The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024-25 makes available up to £64.7 billion, an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £4.5 billion or 7.5% in cash terms on 2023-24. This above-inflation increase demonstrates how the Government stands behind councils up and down the country.For Havering Council, this Settlement represents an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £15.82 million (7.2%) – making available a total of up to £236.4 million in 2024-25. We have also published details of support agreed with a small number of councils, including Havering Council, that have requested financial support on an exceptional basis due to specific local issues that they are unable to manage themselves.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much funding has been allocated from the (a) UK Community Renewal Fund, (b) Levelling Up Fund, (c) Community Ownership Fund and (d) UK Shared Prosperity Fund to projects in (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales, (iii) England and (iv) Northern Ireland (A) overall and (B) in each financial year for which figures are available; and if he will publish a breakdown by project.

Jacob Young: Information on the projects that these funds have supported and the dates when commitments were announced are publicly available and can be found on gov.uk:For the Community Ownership Fund: Community Ownership Fund: successful bidders - GOV.UKFor the Community Renewal Fund: UK Community Renewal Fund: successful and unsuccessful bids - GOV.UKFor the Levelling Up Fund: New levelling up and community investments - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)Delivery of UKSPF is delegated to local authorities.

Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what progress his Department has made on developing plans for implementation of the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act since 29 August 2023.

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when his Department plans to commence the consultation process on the implementation of the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023.

Felicity Buchan: The Government remains committed to implementing the important reforms in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023 (the Act). These reforms will improve the quality of supported housing, protecting residents and getting better value for money for the taxpayer through Housing Benefit spend. It is important that we get the detail of how these reforms might be implemented right, to avoid any unintended consequences.The first step towards implementation is a consultation on the proposed measures in the Act, including the National Supported Housing Standards and the supported housing licensing regime in England. The Government will consult on the measures as soon as possible.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of publishing guidance for leaseholders on how they can access the dispute resolution process under the Developer Self Remediation Terms.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has provided specific guidance to Right to Manage directors on their responsibilities under the developer remediation contract.

Lee Rowley: If a dispute arises and leaseholders are unable to make contact with their developer, they should follow the published guidance in the Developer remediation contract: resident factsheet - GOV.UK.

Anglian Water: Suffolk

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of its plans to address water scarcity in Greater Cambridge on the water bills of Anglian Water customers in (a) Suffolk and (b) Suffolk Coastal constituency.

Lee Rowley: The Government is committed to supporting the growth of Greater Cambridge in a sustainable way, supporting its economic potential, protecting and enhancing the quality of life for residents, habitats and the environment.At Spring Budget 2024, the government published a policy paper setting out its ambition to address water scarcity in Greater Cambridge. Customer water bills are set every five years by Ofwat through its ‘price review’ process which includes controlling the prices that companies can charge customers whilst allowing companies to finance improvements to their infrastructure.

Flats: Fire Prevention

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2024 to Question 19958 on Flats: Fire Prevention, if he will make it his policy to commit to quality assurance measures equivalent to the Self Remediation Terms including a post-remediation Qualifying Assessment.

Lee Rowley: As the answer provided on 2 April indicates, only three buildings under 11m have been found to require some form of remediation to date. The Department expects the developers of any unsafe buildings under 11m to take responsibility for remediating them in accordance with the appropriate standard and deal with the risks identified in the Fire Risk Assessment and Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls as soon as reasonably practicable.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Labour Turnover

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many staff working on Levelling Up have left his Department since its creation.

Jacob Young: Table 42 in the annual Civil Service statistics includes information on the number of leavers for the period in question and this information can be found at the following link for the years in question: Civil Service statistics - GOV.UK.

Department for Business and Trade

Department for Business and Trade: Marketing

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what proportion of her Department’s (a) advertising and (b) marketing expenditure was on (i) local newspapers in print and online, (ii) national newspapers in print and online, (iii) social media, (iv) search engines, (v) broadcast and on-demand television and (vi) other channels in the most recent year for which data is available.

Alan Mak: The Department buys marketing media, including advertising, through its retained media buying agency.2022/23 is the most recent year for which the data is available.The proportion of this marketing media expenditure by major marketing channel was as follows:Local newspapers in print and online: 5%National newspapers in print and online: 25%Paid social media: 27%Search engine marketing: 2 %Broadcast and on-demand television: N/AOther channels: 41%

UK Defence and Security Exports: Trade Fairs

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many Defence and Security Industry Days were supported by UK Defence and Security Exports in each year since 2019.

Alan Mak: No record has been kept of this and there was significant disruption to plans during the COVID period.

UK Defence and Security Exports: Fees and Charges

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the average fee charged by UK Defence and Security Exports was to host a foreign delegation in each year since 2019.

Alan Mak: UK Defence and Security Exports does not charge to host foreign delegations.

UK Defence and Security Exports: Trade Fairs

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many international trade shows UK Defence and Security Exports officials (a) supported and (b) attended in each year since 2010.

Alan Mak: A) Supported by a UKDSE exhibition stand presence: Information prior to 2014-2015 unavailable. 2014-201519 2015-201624 2016-201717 2017-201824 2018-201922 2019-202021 2020-20213 2021-20227 2022-20238 2023-202414 B) Attended UK Defence and Security Exports has not consistently recorded this information centrally. Individual attendance records are not held in the format requested.

UK Defence and Security Exports: Trade Fairs

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many meet the buyer events were held by UK Defence and Security Exports in each year since 2019.

Alan Mak: 20191 2020 0 20211 20222 20233 2024 (to date)1

Labour Market

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department (a) collects and (b) produces labour market information.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Department for Business and Trade is responsible for employment rights. In order to support this, the department collects and produces labour market information through published impact assessments, and statistics on trade union membership in the UK. This is undertaken to better inform policy decisions. They can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-and-trade/about/statistics.

Business: Women

Tahir Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to promote businesses owned by women.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government promotes women-led businesses through partnerships with the private sector. With the Council for Investing in Female Entrepreneurs we have created the Invest in Women Hub (iiwhub.com) which provides information and free access to expert mentors. We are working with the Invest in Women Taskforce towards their goal of making the UK the best place in the world to be a female entrepreneur, including by raising private sector capital to invest in women-led businesses. The Women’s International Networking Programme aims to increase the participation of women-led businesses in international trade through access to networks, role models and DBT intelligence.

Shareholders

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of calling on the Investment Association to amend its principles of remuneration to provide greater flexibility for the dilution of equity in favour of employees in fast growing businesses.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government welcomes the Investment Association’s commitment to review and update its Principles of Remuneration later this year, and its stated objectives to simplify the Principles and ensure that they help support a competitive UK listing environment alongside promoting the right outcomes for shareholders.

Companies: Recruitment

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of restrictions on equity dilution on the capacity of fast growing companies to recruit.

Kevin Hollinrake: Share awards can provide an important recruitment incentive and help align employee interests with those of the company. UK company law permits the allotment of shares for employee share schemes without applying the pre-emption provisions that otherwise require newly issued shares to be offered to existing shareholders first to avoid equity dilution. The Financial Conduct Authority’s Listing Rules require shareholder approval of employee share schemes while allowing companies in unusual circumstances to allot shares to retain or recruit a director without such prior approval.

Business: Investment

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to help increase business investment in Suffolk.

Alan Mak: The Department for Business and Trade works with local stakeholders to promote investment opportunities in the region to potential overseas investors and provide support for foreign investors wishing to set up in the area. The Government works closely with clients to understand their requirements and to reduce any barriers which may inform the client’s decision to locate in the region. The Government is also backing the Freeport East to create new jobs and attract new businesses in high growth sectors such as advanced manufacturing and engineering. The Government supports a range of programmes dedicated to supporting small and medium businesses to grow. This includes free access to the Business Support Helpline, Help to Grow, Growth Hubs, UK Export Academy, International Trade Advisors, and the Export Digital Enquiry Service. Government funded support is also available through the British Business Bank.

Trade Agreements: Australia and New Zealand

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the economic impact of the free trade agreements with (a) Australia and (b) New Zealand since they came into force.

Greg Hands: The Department’s impact assessments of the UK-Australia and UK-New Zealand Free Trade Agreements were published on 17 December 2021 and 28 February 2022 respectively. These impact assessments set out the potential long-run incremental economic impact of these FTAs and are available on gov.uk. The agreements entered in force on the 31 May 2023, and we continue to monitor the economic impact of the two Governments.

Royal Mail: Universal Service Obligation

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when she last met with representatives from Ofcom to discuss plans for reforming the Universal Service Obligation.

Kevin Hollinrake: It is the responsibility of Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to ensure that the universal postal service meets the reasonable needs of customers as well as being financially sustainable and efficient. The Government will consider any recommendations that Ofcom puts forward, but Ministers are not currently minded to introduce new legislation to change the obligations on postal deliveries.

Harland and Wolff: Export Credit Guarantees

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February to Question 12549 on Harland and Wolff: Export Credit Guarantees, what progress her Department has made on negotiations with Harland & Wolff in relation to compliance with applicable subsidy control rules.

Greg Hands: For reasons of commercial sensitivity, UK Export Finance does not comment on ongoing commercial discussions.

Ministry of Defence

Members: Correspondence

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will update the letter deposited in the Library of the House  on 27 December 2023, reference DEP2024-0002, with the latest figures available.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Data provided in response to Questions is not updated when new data becomes available.If the data was later found to be incorrect, then a correction would be issued. However this is not the case with the Question referred to by the hon. Member.

Submarines: Staff

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) payments additional to their wages and (b) deployment allowances have been made to the crew of submarines providing the continual at sea deterrent in the last five years.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The table below provides information requested and shows the total volume of all payments made covering additional Recruitment and Retention payments made above basic salary, Local Overseas Allowance and Longer Separation Allowance payable on deployment. This count has not been broken out as the data could compromise operational security.Financial Year2019-202020-212021-222022-232023-24Grand TotalCount of payments additional to wages16,28517,50914,02117,93219,50382,250It would be prejudicial to the effectiveness, capability and security of His Majesty's Armed Forces to provide any further detail.

Ministry of Defence: Marketing

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of his Department’s (a) advertising and (b) marketing expenditure was on (i) local newspapers in print and online, (ii) national newspapers in print and online, (iii) social media, (iv) search engines, (v) broadcast and on-demand television and (vi) other channels in the most recent year for which data is available.

Dr Andrew Murrison: A full departmental response could only be provided at disproportionate cost.Full advertising and marketing costs for the department are not held centrally. The majority of advertising and marketing expenditure is accounted for by advertising for the Royal Navy, Army, RAF and Ministry of Defence Police to aid recruitment and was provided recently via the PQ answer below.https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-02-29/16378Expenditure for specific categories i to vi is not held centrally and could also not be extracted without incurring cost.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Armed Forces Recruiting Offices allow for walk-ins by potential new recruits.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Armed Forces Career Offices do allow for walk-ins by potential new recruits during office hours. Alternatively, people interested in a career in the Armed Forces can access online recruitment portals at any time.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) RAF personnel worked on military recruitment in each year since 2010.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Information in response to the right hon. Member's Question is as follows: Royal Navy As of January 2024, there were 453 personnel employed to deliver recruitment with an additional surge support of some 85 personnel to enable transition to the New Recruiting Process. Historic information is not available. Army Financial YearPersonnel2010/125262012/1310502013/147422014/157422015/167422016/177362017/187362018/194242019/204272020/214272021/224272022/234272023/24427 For information about additional Capita staff, not included in these figures, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15 January 2024 to Question 7766 to the hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne, which is available at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-01-05/7766. Royal Air Force Calendar YearPersonnel 20104392011371201233220133392014356201538720163962017403201843620194352020429202143220224152023334

Armed Forces: Medical Examinations

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many appeals against medical assessments of potential full time UK Armed Forces recruits were (a) submitted, (b) successful and (c) unsuccessful in each year since 2010.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Medical Treatments

Dame Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military personnel were waiting for medical treatment on 15 April in each of the last five years.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Medical Treatments

Dame Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military personnel are waiting for medical treatment.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Ministry of Defence: Christmas

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2024 to Question 16606 on Ministry of Defence: Christmas, what the cost of the event was.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The total cost of the event was £279.52.

HMS Argyll and HMS Westminster

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has plans for HMS (a) Argyll and (b) Westminster to be put to sea again.

James Cartlidge: The coming years will see the Royal Navy carefully managing the transition between the current fleet to its new ships, maintaining operational commitments while ensuring value for money. I am committed to looking at the future of the Surface Fleet in the round and making tough but necessary decisions to ensure this transition is a success. Any announcement on the future of the Surface Fleet will be made in the usual way.

Armed Forces: Apprentices

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual budget for the Armed Forces Apprenticeship Programme was in each financial year since 2019.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what budget his Department plans to provide for the Armed Forces Apprenticeship Programme in the (a) 2024-25 and (b) 2025-26 financial years.

Dr Andrew Murrison: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 26 March 2024, to Question 19790.Armed Forces: Apprentices  (docx, 14.8KB)

BAE Systems: Explosions

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the explosion at BAE Systems Monmouthshire on munitions production.

James Cartlidge: This was an isolated incident at the BAE Systems (BAES) Glascoed site, Monmouthshire that occurred in a remote building away from the production facilities. Tried and tested safety protocols were immediately enacted and there were no casualties. BAES is continuing to investigate and has engaged the Health and Safety Executive. At this stage BAES do not envisage anything but a minimal impact on operations. Defence Equipment & Support are closely engaged with BAES to support their investigations. At present, a separate Ministry of Defence investigation is not planned.

Reserve Forces: Recruitment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many former full-time Armed Forces personnel (a) applied to and (b) joined the Reserves in each year since 2010.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many former full time Armed Forces personnel voluntarily withdrew their application to join the Reserves after (a) three, (b) six and (c) 12 months in each year since 2010.

Dr Andrew Murrison: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the right hon. Member’s Questions. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.

Armed Forces: Housing

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service family accommodation properties there are in Aldershot.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service family accommodation properties there are in Plymouth.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service family accommodation properties there are in Southampton.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service family accommodation properties there are in Salisbury.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service family accommodation properties there are in Devon.

James Cartlidge: The number of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties there are in Aldershot, Plymouth, Southampton, Salisbury and Devon are shown in the table below, the number for Plymouth is also included in the figures for Devon:   AldershotPlymouthSouthamptonSalisburyDevonTotal SFA3,2539732201,8791,571

Apache Helicopters

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on the commemorative final flight of the Army’s Apache Mk1.

James Cartlidge: The final commemorative flight of the Apache Mk1 was incorporated into a routine training sortie for the operational crew. We do not capture the financial costs of individual sorties.

Defence Equipment & Support

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish the operating model for Defence Equipment and Support.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people are working on the Defence Equipment and Support operating model.

James Cartlidge: Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) have completed the first detailed design of the new Operating Model, which is now undergoing scenario testing and refinement. Implementation of the DE&S Gateway is currently in progress. Iterative improvement will continue between initial implementation and stabilisation of the new Operating Model. DE&S are working towards a full operating capability by March 2025. 119 individuals (96.44 FTE) are currently working on the DE&S Operating Model.

Air Force: Military Aircraft

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the letter sent to the Rt hon. Member for Garston and Halewood on 22 March 2024, reference UIN No 7162/7163, how many RAF aircraft were serviceable in each month since January 2023.

James Cartlidge: The RAF does not track this metric on a monthly basis. The Forward fleet comprises aircraft which are fully serviceable and those which are short-term unserviceable. Short-term issues causing individual aircraft systems to be unserviceable can last from minutes to days.

Warships: Guided Weapons

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Royal Navy warships to be boosted with new cutting-edge launchers, published on 26 March 2024, how many trainable decoy launchers are being purchased.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Royal Navy warships to be boosted with new cutting-edge launchers, published on 26 March 2024, what the in-service date is for the new trainable decoy launchers.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled Royal Navy warships to be boosted with new cutting-edge launchers, published on 26 March 2024, how many ships will be fitted with the new trainable decoy launchers.

James Cartlidge: A total of 38 trainable decoy launchers will be installed across 19 Royal Navy surface ships on the Type 45 Destroyers and on the Type 26 and Type 31 Frigates. The new decoy launchers form part of the Electronic Warfare Counter-Measures programme and will involve an incremental approach to the capability delivery. The programme’s detailed delivery plans have still to be developed; the in-service delivery date for the programme will be formally agreed at the appropriate approvals point.

Navy: Advertising

Dame Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much the Royal Navy spent on advertising (a) above the line, (b) on Tiktok, (c) on Facebook and Instagram, (d) on Snapchat and (e) on Twitter in each financial year since 2017.

James Cartlidge: The Royal Navy (RN) has spent the following overall sums on marketing with above the line media and social media platforms since Financial Year 2017-18: Financial Year Social MediaMedia (Excluding Social)2017-18 £423,990£7,697,3492018-19 £784,161£14,528,6562019-20 £1,626,458£15,699,1982020-21 £1,824,316£13,428,7922021-22 £1,615,263£14,037,0312022-23 £1,682,000£14,025,0002023-24 £2,593,000£16,191,000  The breakdown of spend by individual platform is commercially sensitive and it would therefore be inappropriate to provide this level of detail. In accordance with advice from the Government Communication Service, the RN does not currently use the TikTok platform.

RAF Lossiemouth: Repairs and Maintenance

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many callouts have been made to RAF Lossiemouth for maintenance issues relating to (a) roofing, (b) loss of heating and hot water, (c) electrics (d) pest control and (e) damp and mould in the since April 2022.

James Cartlidge: Callouts made to RAF Lossiemouth for maintenance issues since April 2022, are shown in the table below;  RoofingLoss Heating & Hot WaterElectricalPest ControlDamp & MouldTOTAL31825061787723

Armed Forces: Housing

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2024 to Question 19174 on Armed Forces: Housing, what those figures are as of 17 April 2024 (a) by region and (b) for Scotland.

James Cartlidge: As at 17 April 2024, the number of open work orders for repairs to Service Family Accommodation (SFA), broken down by region can be found in the table below: ContractOpen Reactive Work Orders at 17 April 2024Central1,976South East3,715Scotland and Northern Ireland1,717South West3,169 Of those reported for the Scotland & Northern Ireland Region, 533 relate to Scotland. As at 17 April 2024, the number of open work orders for repairs to Single Living Accommodation (SLA) on the Built Estate, broken down by region, can be found in the table below: ContractOpen Reactive Work Orders at 17 April 2024Central3,566South East2,590Scotland and Northern Ireland921South West1,998 Of those reported for the Scotland and Northern Ireland Region, 768 relate to Scotland.

Ministry of Defence: Trade Promotion

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) domestic and (b) overseas trade shows have Ministers in his Department attended in each year since 2019.

James Cartlidge: Information on domestic trade shows is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost, whilst information on any attendance of overseas trade shows would have been published online within the Transparency Returns.

Armed Forces: Housing

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2024 to Question 20104 on Armed Forces: Housing, if he will provide a breakdown of those figures for Scotland.

James Cartlidge: Please find below the figures broken down for Scotland. IssueDamp and Mould (provided from February 2023)Loss of heating and hot waterLoss of water SupplyElectrical faultsPest Infestation 10496064668

Ministry of Defence: Rented Housing

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2024 to Question 18996 on Ministry of Defence: Rented Housing, what the total cost of renting 37 unoccupied Bulk Lease Hire Properties was.

James Cartlidge: The total cost of renting all 37 unoccupied Bulk Lease Hire Properties is £53,206 per month.

Defence Equipment & Support: Staff

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March 2024 to Question 17716 on Defence Equipment & Support: Staff, what the total cost of contingent labour was in each financial year since 2018-19.

James Cartlidge: The total cost of contingent labour in each financial year (FY) since 2018-19 is: FY2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-23Contingent Labour (£million)33,13276,39499,65095,780121,507 Contingent Labour encompasses individuals temporarily employed, through a variety of schemes, to deliver activity which might otherwise be carried out by permanent DE&S staff. This may be for a number of reasons, for example due to a lack of required skills in the existing workforce, or because the need itself is temporary. Figures for 2023-24 are not available at this time. A record of the number of staff who deliver outputs for Defence Equipment & Support through a private sector support contract is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Iron and Steel: Procurement

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2024 to Question 18053 on Iron and Steel: Procurement, what his planned timetable is for introducing a new condition which will require suppliers delivering larger value contracts to provide detailed supply chain maps.

James Cartlidge: DEFCON 565, which mandates suppliers for all new contracts £5 million and above to provide supply chain information, was published on 1 July 2023.

Defence Equipment & Support: Finance

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the annual budget is for the Weapons Support Team at Defence Equipment and Support in the (a) 2023-24, (b) 2024-25 and (c) 2025-26 financial year.

James Cartlidge: The figures below represent the projected annual operating expenditure budget and forecast costs for the Weapons Support Team at Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S). The Weapons Support Team budget and forecast costs on equipment costs by financial year is as follows: Financial YearContract Spend £millionFY2023-242.96FY2024-252.58FY2025-262.63 The Weapons Support Team budget and forecast costs on operating costs by financial year is as follows: Financial yearTotal spend £millionFY2023-2437.73 Notes:It should be noted that the annual budget for 2024-25 and beyond is not available.Due to the Operating Model work currently underway in DE&S, the current team structure is likely to change significantly, and we anticipate that the way that budgets are apportioned will also change.

Fleet Solid Support Ships

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the in-service date is for the first ship to be delivered by the Fleet Solid Support Ship programme.

James Cartlidge: The first Fleet Solid Support ship (FSS) is expected to enter service by 2031, after first of class trials and equipment fits.

Watchkeeper WK450

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many watchkeeper drones the UK has.

James Cartlidge: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 March 2024 to Question 18362 to the right hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne (John Healey).Watchkeeper WK450 (docx, 14.9KB)

Armed Forces: Joint Exercises

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of service personnel from the (a) British Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force participated in joint exercises in each year since 2019.

Leo Docherty: It is taking time to collate the information. I will write to the right hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many airdrops of humanitarian aid into Gaza the UK Armed Forces have made since October 2023.

Leo Docherty: Up to 17 April the RAF have delivered 64 tonnes of aid to Gaza over seven airdrops as part of the Jordanian led mission.

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much humanitarian aid his Department has delivered into Gaza by (a) land crossings, (b) maritime deliveries and (c) airdrops in each month since October 2023.

Leo Docherty: With the exception of airdrops, the Ministry of Defence has not delivered humanitarian aid directly into Gaza.In October one RAF flight delivered 21 tonnes of aid and in November three RAF flights delivered 53 tonnes to Egypt for land crossings. In December RFA Lyme Bay delivered 87 tonnes UK and Cypriot aid into Port Said, Egypt also for land crossings.In March the RAF airdropped 28 tonnes of aid over Gaza, with a further 36 tonnes between 1-17 April, as part of the Jordanian led mission.

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much humanitarian aid has been delivered to civilians in Gaza with the support of Armed Forces personnel in each month since October 2023.

Leo Docherty: UK Armed Forces personnel have been deployed as planning teams with Allies and partners to support the wider delivery of humanitarian aid. UK Armed Forces have directly delivered over 225 tonnes on humanitarian aid to support the civilian population of Gaza since October 2023. It is broken down by month below.   UK Armed Forces directly delivered to aid agencies via EgyptOctober 202321 tonnesNovember 202353 tonnesDecember 202387 tonnes of UK and Cypriot aidJanuary 2024NilUK Armed Forces directly delivered to GazaFebruary 2024(4 tonnes of UK aid air dropped by Jordan)March 202442 tonnesApril 2024 (to 17 April)24 tonnes

Armed Forces: Private Rented Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much income the Defence Infrastructure Organisation has generated by renting out Service Family Accommodation properties to non-service personnel each year since 2010.

James Cartlidge: The amount the Department has received for renting out Service Family Accommodation (SFA) to non-Service personnel each year since financial year (FY) 2016-17 is shown in the table below:FY2016-172017-182018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-24Sublet Income (£million)1.12.15.59.112.211.615.814.8  No information is held prior to FY 2016-17 as the Department only started subletting surplus SFA in 2016.

Aircraft Carriers

Dame Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2024 to Question 12520 on Aircraft Carriers, when the UK Carrier Strike Group with a wholly sovereign air wing and escort fleet last sailed on (a) exercise and (b) deployment.

Leo Docherty: Sovereign aircraft, escorts and support ships have formed the core of the UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG), but each deployment has also involved contributions from partner nations. All UKCSG deployments have involved participation in a range of multinational operations and exercises.

AUKUS

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support the AUKUS Advanced Capabilities Industry Forum.

James Cartlidge: Since its announcement at the AUKUS Defence Ministers meeting in December 2023, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) have consulted on the AUKUS Advanced Capabilities Industry Forum TORs, developing them in partnership with trade associations from all three nations. The MOD hosted the first forum trilaterally in Washington DC on 9 April 2024. Two further forums are planned for 2024, in the UK and Australia respectively.

AUKUS: Civil Servants

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what civil service grade are the officials supporting the AUKUS Advanced Capabilities Industry Forum.

James Cartlidge: A variety of officials at varying grades are engaged in supporting the AUKUS Advanced Capabilities Industry Forum. We have an SCS 2 official as a co-chair to the Forum. It is not practical to further quantify a specific number of people supporting it at any given moment.

Fleet Solid Support Ships

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has paid to Navantia UK under the Fleet Solid Support Ship programme.

James Cartlidge: I am withholding the information as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

BAE Systems: Explosions

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has opened its own investigation into the potential causes of the explosion at BAE Systems Monmouthshire on 17 April 2024.

James Cartlidge: This was an isolated incident at the BAE Systems (BAES) Glascoed site, Monmouthshire that occurred in a remote building away from the production facilities. Tried and tested safety protocols were immediately enacted and there were no casualties. BAES is continuing to investigate and has engaged the Health and Safety Executive. At this stage BAES do not envisage anything but a minimal impact on operations. Defence Equipment & Support are closely engaged with BAES to support their investigations. At present, a separate Ministry of Defence investigation is not planned.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of ratifying the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement is a major victory for ocean protection and multilateral diplomacy and underpins the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the cornerstone of ocean governance. The Agreement means much greater protection for the two-thirds of the global ocean that lies beyond national jurisdiction. It will play a key role supporting the delivery of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, including helping to achieve the target to effectively conserve and manage at least 30 percent of the ocean by 2030. The UK played a significant and proactive role in achieving this success in over 10 years of negotiations and will continue to be proactive in preparing for implementation and entry into force and supporting other, particularly developing, countries, to do so. The UK continues to work at pace on the legislation and other measures needed to implement the Agreement and aims to implement and ratify in time for the UN Ocean Conference in June 2025 and will be in the forefront of the countries ratifying the treaty.

Climate Change: International Cooperation

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether the Government will ensure that at least 30% of the future International Climate Finance commitment will be allocated to supporting nature’s recovery.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We are delivering on our current International Climate Finance commitment of £11.6 billion over five years from 2021/22 to 2025/26, including at least £3 billion to be spent on development solutions that protect and restore nature. The recently published Development White Paper includes a commitment to work globally to improve the quantity, quality and accessibility of climate and nature finance. Our own future funding commitments beyond 2025/26 will be agreed through the spending review process.

East Africa: Food Supply

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent assessment he has made of the food security situation in East Africa; and what steps his Department is taking to alleviate the problems.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Food insecurity remains a huge challenge across East Africa. Tens of millions of people throughout the region face 'crisis' levels of food insecurity. The UK is leading efforts to address the crisis. The UK will deliver £89 million of aid to Sudan in 2024/2025, up from nearly £50 million in 2023/2024. On 16 April at a UK convened humanitarian pledging event I [Deputy Foreign Secretary] committed £100 million in aid to Ethiopia which will reach hundreds of thousands of people. Since 2019 the UK has allocated over £1 billion in humanitarian funding to East Africa benefitting millions of people.

Asylum: Deportation

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what criteria his Department uses to determine whether it can enter into discussions on establishing potential asylum partnerships akin to the UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is continuing to work with a range of international partners to tackle global illegal migration challenges. Our focus has been on passing the Safety of Rwanda Bill, which builds on the Illegal Migration Act, and putting plans in place to get flights off the ground as soon as possible to Rwanda.A range of factors need to be taken into consideration for migration partnerships, including the human rights situation in the country.

Senegal: Foreign Relations

Ruth Jones: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent discussions he has had with his Senegalese counterpart.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Senegal's new Minister for African Integration and Foreign Affairs, Yassine Fall, took office on 11 April. I look forward to discussing our shared priorities with her and the new Senegalese government at the earliest opportunity, following our first UK-Senegal High Level Political Dialogue at which I hosted her predecessor in London in October last year. I also met Senegal's new Minister for Finance and Budget at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings last week.

Tigray: Famine

Deidre Brock: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle famine in Tigray.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Across Tigray and other parts of northern Ethiopia, El Nino has caused drought that is affecting 4 million people. According to assessments from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, nearly 1.4 million people in Tigray will need immediate emergency food assistance because of drought. I witnessed firsthand the effects of this during my visit in February 2024. In response, I announced an additional £100 million to fund our Ending Preventable Deaths Programme, which will target three million people across Ethiopia including those who are most at risk in the northern regions. The UK also co-hosted a donor conference in Geneva on 16 April and successfully raised £610 million to meet humanitarian needs in Ethiopia.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Alex Sobel: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with his Czech counterpart on the purchase of artillery shells for Ukraine.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Foreign Secretary has discussed with his Czech counterpart how we can assist with their scheme. The UK will spend £245 million throughout the next year to procure and invigorate supply chains to produce urgently needed artillery ammunition for Ukraine.We continue to engage in intensive bilateral and multilateral lobbying efforts to ensure Ukraine gets the military support it needs, leveraging the additional support we have announced this year to secure new commitments.

Tajikistan: Politics and Government

Patrick Grady: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what discussions he has had with counterparts in Tajikistan on reports of recent disappearances of activists and opposition leaders in that country.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: We discuss Tajikistan's human rights situation both bilaterally and in international fora, including during the Foreign Secretary's visit this week, and during Minister Docherty's visit to Tajikistan in 2023 and through the British Embassy in Dushanbe.

Ethiopia: Politics and Government

Deidre Brock: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make the latest Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability assessment for Ethiopia available to Parliament.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) report is an internal document and not intended for publication.

India: Pakistan

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the alleged assassination of alleged terrorists in Pakistan by the Indian government.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: All countries should respect sovereignty and the rule of law. India and Pakistan are long-standing, important friends of the UK and we encourage both to engage in dialogue and find lasting, diplomatic solutions to maintain regional stability. The UK strongly believes in the importance of peaceful co-existence. It would be inappropriate to comment further.

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

Ruth Jones: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what progress his Department has made on its preparations for this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, how many Ministers are scheduled to attend this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa in October will be an important opportunity to mobilise Commonwealth action on shared interests, including boosting intra-Commonwealth trade and investment; enhancing access to climate finance and protecting the environment; and reaffirming our shared commitment to Commonwealth Charter values. We are working closely with Samoa, other Commonwealth partners and the Commonwealth Secretariat to ensure CHOGM delivers strong outcomes that offer benefits to Commonwealth members and citizens. Ministerial attendance plans will be finalised closer to CHOGM.

Climate Change: Sudan

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of climate change on conflict in Sudan.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We use analysis of the drivers of conflict, including climate change, to inform our policy and programming in Sudan. Our response to the conflict seeks to address the needs of the most vulnerable populations, including those susceptible to the impact of climate change.

United Nations

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what his priorities are for the UN Summit of the Future on 22-23 September 2024.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK welcomes the Summit of the Future as an opportunity to secure UN reform, so that it can meet the challenges of today and those of tomorrow. Our priorities are to: support a New Agenda for Peace which commits to conflict prevention through national prevention approaches, and localised warning mechanisms; shape shared principles for digital co-operation; accelerate the full achievement of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), based on the International Development White Paper priorities; and defend positions on human rights and gender, notably sexual health and reproductive rights and Female Genital Mutilation, and advance women's participation at all levels of decision-making.

Ethiopia: Development Aid

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, how much funding the UK plans to provide to the Productive Safety Net Programme in the 2024-25 financial year.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We plan to make an estimated contribution of £23 million to the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) this financial year.

Kenya: International Convention for the Protection of All Persons From Enforced Disappearance

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made representations to the Kenyan Government on the ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is not a party to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. However, the UK condemns enforced disappearances and extra judicial killings, which are human rights violations that deny victims basic human rights under the law and Kenya's Constitution. We have raised these concerns with the Chair of the Kenyan Human Rights Parliamentary caucus.

Morocco: Energy

Patrick Grady: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, with reference to the UK-Morocco Strategic Framework for Cooperation on Climate Action, Clean Energy and Green Growth, signed on 9 May 2023, whether co-operation with Morocco on clean energy will include activity within Western Sahara.

David Rutley: The UK-Morocco Strategic Framework for Cooperation on Climate Action, Clean Energy and Green Growth is a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding which sets the basis on which bilateral cooperation can be built in the Climate Action, Clean Energy, and Green Growth sectors between the UK and Morocco. It builds on existing cooperation between the UK and Morocco in these sectors, such as through the Energy Transition Council and Agricultural Breakthrough Agenda. There are no activities within Western Sahara covered by the Framework currently. All activities are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Tanzania: Floods

Ruth Jones: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the recovery efforts in Tanzania after the recent floods.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: On 14 April the Government of Tanzania confirmed that 58 people had died as a result of heavy rains and floods, with over 126,000 people, many of them from the most vulnerable communities, also affected. While the UK has not been asked to provide support, we will aid relief efforts through our contribution to the multi-donor pooled Start Network. Initial indications from discussions with partners in Tanzania suggest that humanitarian efforts will focus on economic recovery through livelihood support, food aid and hygiene assistance for women.

Ethiopia: Humanitarian Aid

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) his Ethiopian counterpart and (b) other international partners on ensuring the adequacy of access for humanitarian deliveries in the Amhara region of Ethiopia.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is committed to providing support to the most vulnerable and those in desperate need in Ethiopia. We have already increased our humanitarian support this financial year to £74 million. Almost 1.9 million people benefit from UK-supported programmes in Amhara, although access is currently limited. The UK is continuing to provide support where possible and consistently raises humanitarian access with the government of Ethiopia. Most recently Minister Mitchell met the Ethiopian Foreign Minister Taye on 17 April at the Ethiopian high-level pledging conference in Geneva, where the government committed to reforms to improve humanitarian operations in Ethiopia. At the conference, which was co-hosted by the UK, international partners successfully raised $610 million to meet humanitarian needs in Ethiopia, including in Amhara.

Southern Africa: Visits Abroad

Ruth Jones: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, how many Ministerial visits have taken place to Southern African Development Community nations in each of the last ten years.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK recognises the important role the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has in relation to regional issues. I [Minister Mitchell] regularly discuss a range of issues, including peace and security and UK-SADC collaboration, with regional partners. In the past 12 months I have travelled to Tanzania, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, DRC with plans to visit a further two SADC countries in the next 3 months and have also met with the region at World Bank Spring Meetings, AfDB annual meetings and the UN General Assembly.The information requested on the previous 10 years is not held centrally by the Department and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the Department.

West Africa: Climate Change

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent discussions has he had with partners in West Africa on partnerships relating to climate mitigation.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is a strong supporter of climate action in West Africa, helping countries transition to a low carbon economy and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The Africa Regional Climate and Nature Programme (ARCAN) is a regional programme of up to £250 million over 6 years which aims to build resilience to climate change, tackle nature and biodiversity loss and catalyse energy transition in Sub-Saharan Africa. I [Minister Mitchell] have engaged with a range of West African partners and led the UK delegation at the African Climate Summit in Nairobi in September 2023, and COP28 in Dubai in December 2023. During a visit to Accra in January 2024 I met Secretary General of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), President Nasheed, and discussed priorities for the CVF and its Vulnerable Twenty (V20) Group.

The Gambia: Women

Mrs Pauline Latham: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made representations to his Gambian counterpart on (a) that country's obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and (b) ensuring a continuing ban on female genital mutilation.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Female genital mutlilation (FGM) should be illegal. I [Minister Mitchell] spoke to The Gambia's Foreign Minister on 9 April to relay the UK's deep concern about the progress in The Gambia's National Assembly of the bill that would legalise FGM. I highlighted the serious implications if the bill were to become law, including for The Gambia's international reputation. The UK continues to engage broadly through regular contact with senior Gambian Government officials and other stakeholders. We are working with international partners to coordinate and complement messaging and activity.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Visits Abroad

Layla Moran: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will publish the (a) minutes, (b) attendee lists, (c) expenses, (d) gifts exchanged and (e) other relevant details of the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs' meeting with President Donald Trump on 8 April 2024.

David Rutley: Relevant transparency data relating to the Secretary of State's recent visit to the USA will be published on Gov.uk in line with the usual reporting requirements.

France: Foreign Relations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what plans he has to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the signing of the Entente Cordiale.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: On 8 April, the UK and France celebrated the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale with joint changing of the guard ceremonies at Buckingham Palace and the Élysée Palace. Throughout this anniversary year, our respective embassies are organising events reflecting the breadth of the UK-France relationship, showcasing our longstanding cooperation on issues including climate change, science, sport, culture, defence, education, and trade. In meetings last week, I reflected on this anniversary and positive state of the relationship with my French counterpart and with the French Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Olympic Games: Paris

Ruth Jones: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, how many members of the Government will be attending the Paris Olympic Games.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: We wish Team GB and ParalympicsGB every success at what promise to be very special Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer. Attendance by members of His Majesty's Government at Paris 2024 remains under consideration.

Developing Countries: Education

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support the (i) recruitment, (ii) retention and (iii) professional development of (A) teachers and (B) educational staff in crisis-affected countries and (b) invest in their (1) safety and (2) working conditions.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The FCDO supports the education workforce in crises-affected countries through our support to multilateral partners; our bilateral programmes; and our wider policy work on strengthening education systems and foundational learning. The UK is the second largest donor to Education Cannot Wait, which has funded the recruitment and/or financial support for nearly 170,000 teachers between 2016 and 2022. The UK is also the second largest donor to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), which spends over 60 percent of its funds in fragile and conflict affected states and directly supports teacher recruitment, training and safer school environments.

Developing Countries: Education

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help international education systems prepare for natural disasters.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: In 2023, we pledged £80 million to Education Cannot Wait (ECW), a global fund for education in emergencies, central to supporting education resilience in the face of increasing natural and man-made disasters. The FCDO's position paper, 'Addressing the Climate, Environment, and Biodiversity Crises in and through Girls' Education' (2022), provides a framework of priority actions to build resilient and climate smart school systems. Increasingly, our bilateral education programmes are building climate resilience, and we are working, as leading donors, through global education funds - Global Partnership for Education and ECW - to protect education in the face of disasters.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps his Department is taking to support the roll-out of human papillomavirus vaccines worldwide.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK supports human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programmes in developing countries through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The UK is the second largest donor to Gavi, having committing £1.65 billion over 2021-2025. The UK was a vocal advocate for inclusion of the HPV vaccine into Gavi's portfolio to help protect the most vulnerable girls from the leading cause of cervical cancer. Since 2014 Gavi has fully immunised 48.2 million girls and aims to immunise a total of 86 million girls by the end of 2025.

Eswatini: Human Rights

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to provide support for human rights to (a) people in, (b) aid agencies and (c) human rights organisations working in Eswatini.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK works to promote respect for human rights around the world, including in Eswatini. The British Government supports the Swazi people indirectly through programmes delivered by UN agencies (including UNICEF, UNFPA and WFP), their implementing partners and the Global Fund, as well as through advocacy and engagement with local Human Rights Defenders and state authorities. The British High Commission also provides project support to local NGOs and CSOs working on key human rights issues such as gender-based violence, freedom of expression and the rights of women and girls.

Fuels: Smuggling

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the inquiry into (a) mismanagement in the Libyan National Oil Corporation and (b) fuel smuggling.

David Rutley: We are aware of reports about, and would welcome an inquiry being established to address, allegations regarding the National Oil Corporation (NOC), relating to fuel smuggling and the criminal gangs who benefit from it. The NOC plays a vital role in the stability and prosperity of Libya. Efforts must be made to achieve greater control over Libyan oil resources and gain information on how it is being consumed at such an alarming rate. The UK stands ready to support the Libyan Government in achieving this.

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on steps Israel is taking to ensure aid is able to reach citizens in Gaza.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The British Government has pressed with Israeli counterparts the urgency of getting significantly more aid into Gaza to alleviate the desperate situation.The Foreign Secretary visited Israel on 17 April and met with Israeli counterparts. During his visit he said to Prime Minister Netanyahu and Foreign Affairs Minister Katz that we must maintain focus on getting more aid into Gaza and getting hostages out.On 5th April Israel committed to significant steps to increase the amount of aid getting to Gaza, including allowing the delivery of humanitarian aid through the Port of Ashdod and the Erez checkpoint.The UK has urged Israel to take these steps for a long time and they are welcome. We are resolved that the international community will work with Israel to see these vital changes fully implemented.The British Government has also called on Israel to reform its deconfliction mechanism to ensure the safety of aid workers, and to make progress on the UN's minimal operating requirements, including more visas and driver approvals granted, as well as more trucks permitted to cross into Gaza.Palestinians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis. The UK is playing a leadership role in alleviating that suffering. We are doing everything we can to get more aid in as quickly as possible by land, sea and air.

Developing Countries: Schools

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he plans to endorse the revised Comprehensive School Safety Framework.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Comprehensive School Safety Framework is well aligned with UK priorities, and we support its implementation through our funding to Education Cannot Wait. The UK has endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration which commits to reducing the impact of conflict on education and is closely linked to the Comprehensive School Safety Framework. FCDO officials will discuss endorsing the framework with The Global Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience in the Education Sector.

Democracy and Human Rights

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to support (a) human rights and (b) democracy in (i) sub-Saharan Africa and (ii) other countries.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is a long-standing supporter of an open international order based on respect for democracy and human rights. Globally, our work includes holding Russia to account over its actions in Ukraine and at home and China for its actions in Xinjiang province; and supporting the Human Rights Council and the Summits for Democracy. Across Africa, our human rights work has included support to media freedom in South Sudan, human rights defenders in Zimbabwe, and tackling child exploitation in DRC. We have also partnered to support democratic institutions: for example, the judiciary in Kenya, civil society in Nigeria, and the African Union (AU), through our £7 million AU Conflict and Governance programme.

Mozambique: Food Supply

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the estimate made by the government of Mozambique on 20 March 2024 of the number of people facing food insecurity as a result of floods and drought in that country over the last five months.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is responding to the ongoing humanitarian crises in Mozambique both through direct programming and diplomatic channels. This includes prepositioning of vital supplies and, through our partnership with the World Food Programme, supporting the Government of Mozambique initiatives to give farmers cash and seeds to reduce the impacts of drought. The UK is concerned about the effects of El Nino in Mozambique, along with recent flooding, and is closely monitoring the impacts. Our High Commissioner recently met with the head of the national disaster management authority (INGD) to discuss their response and linkages with UK intervention.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Labour Turnover

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how many staff have left his Department since its creation.

David Rutley: 2,350 UK based staff have left the FCDO between the data of the merger and 31st December 2023. This includes staff who have moved to other Government Departments. As of 31st March 2024 we have 8,167 UK based staff.

Western Sahara: Natural Resources

Patrick Grady: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, pursuant to the Answer of 9 February 2024 to Question 12714 on Western Sahara: Natural Resources, whether it is his policy that commercial activity in Western Sahara requires the agreement of recognised representatives of the Saharawi people to be compliant with international law.

David Rutley: We do not consider commercial activity to be illegal in Western Sahara, providing it respects the interests of the Sahrawi people. The UK continues to support the UN-led efforts and the work of Staffan de Mistura as Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General to Western Sahara and we continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process and monitor progress.

Sri Lanka: Hinduism

Patrick Grady: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment his Department has made of the situation of Hindus in Sri Lanka after the recent arrest and assault of Tamil Hindu worshippers.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Promoting Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is a UK priority in Sri Lanka.  The UK Government regularly raises human rights, including the importance of religious tolerance and protecting the rights of all Sri Lankans to practise their faith. Through UK funded programmes, we support Sri Lankan youth to advocate for FoRB and improve religious harmony.We continue to be concerned by increasing tensions around land in Sri Lanka, including at the Vedukkunaari Aadhi Sivan temple in Vavuniya. We welcome the release of the eight arrested Hindu worshippers but note that this incident has troubling implications for FoRB.

Haiti: Politics and Government

Ruth Jones: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what discussions he has had with his Caribbean Community counterparts on the security situation in Haiti.

David Rutley: The UK remains concerned by the deteriorating security situation in Haiti that exacerbates pre-existing humanitarian and economic crises. I [Minister Rutley] have engaged significantly on this issue, discussing it with regional and international partners over many months. I most recently engaged with Caribbean partners during my attendance at the CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in Guyana on 26 February, where I discussed concerns about - and options to respond to - the security situation in Haiti with interlocuters. The UK strongly supported the UN Resolution to authorise a Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) to Haiti. And on 9 April, in his press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Foreign Secretary announced that the UK would be providing over £5m to the MSS.

Myanmar: Armed Forces

Ruth Jones: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of reports of the conscription of Rohingya boys as child soldiers by the government of Myanmar.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We are concerned by credible reports of forcible detention and recruitment of the Rohingya, following the Myanmar military regime's conscription announcement. This has the potential to further stoke inter-communal tensions. On 4 April, the UK convened the UN Security Council to raise concern over the escalating conflict in Rakhine State. We are committed to supporting children in Myanmar and we continue to raise our concerns over the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict in international fora, including through our co-sponsorship of a UN Human Rights Council resolution on Myanmar in April.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Marketing

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what proportion of his Department’s (a) advertising and (b) marketing expenditure was on (i) local newspapers in print and online, (ii) national newspapers in print and online, (iii) social media, (iv) search engines, (v) broadcast and on-demand television and (vi) other channels in the most recent year for which data is available.

David Rutley: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spent £11,892 in 2022/23 on Advertising costs. This expenditure cannot be broken down further as this is at the lowest level of account code. Advertising and marketing is a necessary and important means of delivering key information to the public.

Sudan: Humanitarian Aid

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make representations to (a) the World Bank and (b) other multilateral and regional financial institutions on providing additional funding to the budget for the Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan 2024 published by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: On 15 April Lord Benyon attended the Sudan Humanitarian Pledging Conference in Paris which was attended by key bilateral and multilateral partners seeking to bring peace to Sudan and support the Sudanese people. We continue to work with international partners to encourage a concerted international effort and sufficient funding to respond to the crisis in Sudan. In 2024-25 the ODA budget for Sudan will increase to £89 million.

Sudan: Humanitarian Situation

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking as Penholder on Sudan at the UN Security Council to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan; and if he will make it his policy to request (a) regular humanitarian briefings on Sudan at the Security Council and (b) a report to the Council with options for civilian protection mechanisms in Sudan in the absence of a political or peacekeeping mission.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK has used its position as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council and penholder on Sudan to call multiple meetings to take action in response to the conflict, to call for a ceasefire, and to discuss the dire humanitarian and human rights situation On 27 February, we called for the UN Security Council to convene for a closed consultation in response to the SAF's decision to withdraw permission for the movement of aid into Sudan from the Adre border crossing in Chad. On 8 March, the UK-led UN Security Council Resolution 2724 called for an immediate cessation of hostilities; unhindered humanitarian access; and for the UN Secretary-General Personal Envoy Ramtane Lamamra to complement and coordinate regional peace efforts. We continue to work with Council members to keep Sudan on the UNSC's agenda and to call for a cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians, and unhindered humanitarian access including at the next UK-requested Sudan Security Council meeting on 19 April.

Sudan: Humanitarian Situation

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make it his policy to support the appointment of a UN special humanitarian advisor on Sudan.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK continues to support UN leadership - through the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator and The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) - to respond to the humanitarian crises caused by the conflict in Sudan. The UK will continue to support the UN Country team which remains operational on the ground in Sudan. The UK has nearly doubled bilateral ODA to Sudan for this financial year (2024/25) to £89 million. We also support the role of the Secretary General's Personal Envoy on Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra.

UK Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan: Public Appointments

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, for what reason the post of UK Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan has been vacant since October 2023.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The post of UK Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan has been reconfigured and no longer exists. The position of Special Representative for South Sudan has been occupied by Clare Staunton since October 2023. The role of the Special Representative for Sudan has been taken on by the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, reflecting the critical role of the wider region in the conflict, and has been filled Sarah Montgomery, who will be succeeded by Alison Blackburne in summer 2023. The UK Ambassador for Sudan, Giles Lever, is now based in Addis Ababa with his team.

Sudan: Famine

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help prevent widespread famine in Sudan.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK continues to push for improved humanitarian access into and within Sudan to assist people who are hungry. In 2024/2025, UK ODA to Sudan will nearly double to £89 million. This was announced during Minister Mitchell's visit to the Chad border this month, where he met refugees fleeing the conflict, including many displaced by hunger as well as violence. UK aid will include funding to UNICEF which will provide emergency and life-saving food assistance to support people particularly in hard-to reach areas; and the World Food Programme to assist over 285,000 beneficiaries for 6 months by providing 13,405 tons of assorted food commodities such cereals, pulses, oils and salt. Ultimately the best way to ensure people don't go hungry is for the violence to end, and the UK continues to do all we can to press the parties into a permanent ceasefire.

Sudan: Humanitarian Aid

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the press release entitled UK to nearly double aid for Sudan as humanitarian crisis deepens, published on 28 March 2024, when he expects the full funding for the 2024-25 financial year to be distributed to (a) non-governmental organisations and (b) local responders in Sudan.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We will provide £89 million to support Sudan over the year ahead, most of which will go towards humanitarian assistance. Budgets have not yet been allocated. However, UK support will continue to be delivered through the UN and other trusted partners including some NGOs. The UK last year provided £23.5 million to the UN-led Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF) to provide flexible, muti-sector support and which predominantly provides funding to NGOs, including grassroot organisations and national NGOs; we will continue our support to the SHF this year too. We are also planning to provide support to the National NGO Forum, as well as to the development of a Localisation Strategy at the request of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Gaza: Civilians

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent steps his Department has taken to help evacuate people in Gaza who have permission to enter the UK.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: FCDO staff are working with the Israeli and Egyptian authorities to ensure any remaining British nationals and eligible persons that want to leave Gaza are cleared to cross as soon as possible. The Rafah border crossing continues to be open for controlled and time-limited periods to allow specific groups of foreign nationals to cross. Whilst it is for the Egyptian and Israeli authorities to determine who is permitted to cross, and when, we have assisted over 300 people to leave so far.

Israel Defense Forces: Private Military and Security companies

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he plans to collect data on the number of UK citizens travelling to fight for the Israel Defence Force.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK recognises the right of British nationals with more than one nationality to serve in the legitimately recognised armed forces of their additional nationalities.We are aware of reports of UK citizens travelling to fight for the Israel Defence Force (IDF), but the Government does not estimate the numbers of those who have done so.

Ghassan Abu Sittah

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made representations to his German counterpart on Germany's refusal to permit the entry of British-Palestinian surgeon Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: I have not made representations on this matter.

Palestinians

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with the (a) Palestinian and (b) Israeli ambassadors on the reunification of Palestinian families.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with the British Council on the reunification of families of Palestinians in the UK on a British Council(a) programme and (b) scholarship.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his (a) Palestinian and (b) Israeli counterparts on the reunification of Palestinian families.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: I refer the honourable Member to the answer given on 12 March to Question 16815, which can be found on the Q&A webpages: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-03-04/16815.Palestinians who wish to join family members in the UK must do so via the existing range of routes available.

Department for Education

Schools: Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria her Department uses to assess the adequacy of funding for each school (a) nationally and (b) in York.

Damian Hinds: This government is committed to providing a world class education system for all children and has invested significantly in education to achieve that. Including the additional funding for teachers’ pay and pensions, funding for both mainstream schools and high needs is £2.9 billion higher in 2024/25, compared to 2023/24. The overall core school budget will total £60.7 billion in 2024/25, which is the highest ever level in real terms per pupil. This means school funding is set to have risen by £11 billion by 2024/25, compared to 2021/22. Each year, the government publishes an assessment of schools’ costs and funding increases in the Schools’ Costs Technical Note. In the most recent publication, the department’s analysis shows mainstream school funding rising by 7.6% in 2023/24 compared to the previous year, while costs were estimated to have risen by 6.7% at the national level. This analysis reflects averages across all schools in England. Through the Dedicated Schools Grant, York is receiving an extra £2.0 million for mainstream schools in 2024/25 compared to 2023/24, taking total school funding to over £125.5 million. This represents an increase of 2.0% per pupil compared to 2023/24, and an increase of 13.4% per pupil compared to 2021/22 (excluding growth funding). On top of this, all schools will receive additional funding through the Teachers’ Pay Additional Grant and Teachers' Pension Employer Contribution Grant. The precise funding and cost increases that individual schools in York, and across the country, will face depend on each school’s unique circumstances and the decisions that it has made about how to deploy its funding. The national funding formula is designed to fund each school according to its relative needs, and is updated annually to reflect how those needs change over time.

Children in Care

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the primary category of need for children in care aged (a) under one year, (b) one to four years, (c) five to nine years, (d) aged ten to 15 years and (e) 16 to 17 years in each of the last five years.

David Johnston: The figures requested can be found in the attached table. 22055 Table Attachment (xlsx, 19.6KB)

Children: Poverty

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to provide support for children living in poverty who are at risk of being taken into the care system.

David Johnston: This government published ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’ in February 2023. ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’ is an implementation strategy and consultation that sets out the department’s plans to reform children’s social care. It set out how the department will help families overcome challenges, keep children safe and make sure children in care have stable loving homes, long-term loving relationships and opportunities for a good life. This government has announced over £1 billion for programmes to improve early help services, including delivering on Family Hubs and helping families facing multiple disadvantage through the Supporting Families programme and Holiday Activities and Food programme. The Strengthening Families, Protecting Children programme is investing £84 million over five years between 2019 and 2024 to support 17 local authorities to adopt improvement approaches that have strong evidence of reducing the numbers of children requiring statutory support and entering care. The department is also testing innovative new approaches to provide earlier help to families when they face challenges through the Families First for Children Pathfinder. Over recent years, this government has demonstrated its commitment to supporting the most vulnerable with one of the largest support packages in Europe. The total support over 2022 to 2025 to help households and individuals with higher bills amounts to £108 billion, which is an average of £3,800 per UK household. Through an extension of the Household Support Fund, local authorities in England will receive an additional £421 million to support those in need locally, including supporting vulnerable households with the cost of essentials such as food and utilities.

Children: Poverty

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help support (a) pre-school, (b) primary school and (c) secondary school-aged children living in poverty other than through the provision of free school meals.

David Johnston: Spreading opportunity and ensuring every child can reach their potential no matter their background or where they live remains a key priority for the department. The department has a range of support in place for pupils, families and schools. Low-income families and children experiencing other forms of disadvantage can qualify for 15 hours free early education for 2 year olds, a year before all children become eligible for 15 hours at ages 3 and 4. These entitlements support children’s development and helps prepare them for school. Within schools, the department has consistently taken steps to help economically disadvantaged pupils, including improving the quality of teaching and curriculum resources, strengthening the school system and providing targeted support where needed. Underpinning this is pupil premium, worth over £2.9 billion this year. In 2024/25, the department has targeted a greater proportion of schools National Funding Formula towards disadvantaged pupils than ever before; 10.2% (over £4.4 billion) of the formula has been allocated according to deprivation in 2024/25. To offer children from low-income families a free nutritious breakfast, the department is investing up to £35 million in the National School Breakfast Programme until the end of July 2025. This funding is reaching up to 2,700 primary and secondary schools in disadvantaged areas to better support attainment, wellbeing and readiness to learn. Since 2021, the department has also provided more than £200 million of funding every year to local authorities across England for holiday provision for school-aged children from reception to year 11 (inclusive) who receive benefits-related free school meals and other families that most need it. The department has also published statutory guidance on the cost of school uniform to ensure uniform is affordable for all families. Family hubs are a one stop shop for families to get the help they need. They provide services for children of all ages, or between 0 to 19 or 0 to 25 for families with children who have special educational needs and disabilities, with a great Start for Life offer at their core.To support families with the cost of living in recent years, the government has provided one of the most generous support packages in Europe. The total support over 2022 to 2025 to help households and individuals with higher bills amounts to £108 billion, which is on average £3,800 per UK household.

Schools: Mental Health Services

Dean Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on delivering a mental health support lead within primary and secondary schools.

David Johnston: The department has offered all state-funded schools and colleges in England a grant to train a senior mental health lead by 2025. The department continues to deliver on the commitments that it made in the government’s 2018 response to the consultation on 'Transforming children and young people's mental health provision: a green paper' and to deliver on next steps. The government’s response to the consultation can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision-a-green-paper. As at 30 November 2023, 15,100 schools and colleges had taken up this offer and claimed a grant, which represents 63% of the total number of settings that are eligible to apply. Breakdowns of the data, including by setting type, can be found in the department’s transparency data release which has been updated annually since the programme started and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-provision. A list of schools and colleges receiving a senior mental health lead training grant is also published and updated throughout the year, which can be found here: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F65b0cb50160765001118f741%2FSenior_mental_health_lead_training_January_2024_Update.ods&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK.

Family Hubs: Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that family hubs have adequate funding to help support all children that require their services.

David Johnston: The department is investing around £300 million in 75 local authorities to transform their family support services to family hubs. Funding has been targeted to the most deprived local authorities to ensure that families get the support they need. This will fund a network of family hubs and specific support within those hubs for parent–infant mental health, infant feeding services, parenting support, home learning environment, and to establish parent-carer panels. In addition, all 75 local authorities will publish their Start for Life offer and the department is providing funding for trials of innovative workforce models to a smaller number of local authorities. Family hubs provide services for children of all ages, and from 0 to 19 for families who have children with SEND, with a great Start for Life offer at their core.In allocating funding to each local authority, the department has balanced the variable costs that local authorities face due to different population sizes, such as greater service demand resulting from a bigger population, against the fact that some costs will be similar regardless of these differences, for example the costs of establishing a parent carer panel. Each local authority’s total funding allocation therefore consists of two elements. The first is a fixed amount for each of the programme’s strands. The second element is a variable amount for each strand based on each local authority’s relative population size. As outlined in the 'Family Hubs and Start for Life programme: local authority guide' each element of the programme focuses on a specific age range. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-hubs-and-start-for-life-programme-local-authority-guide. The variable amounts were, therefore, based on the most relevant population age ranges for the objectives of each programme strand. For further information please see the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62ed30f98fa8f5033275fce8/Family_Hubs_and_Start_for_Life_programme_-_methodology_for_allocating_funding_to_local_authorities.pdf.

Childcare

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure the availability of childcare (a) before and (b) after school.

David Johnston: The government is investing £289 million in a new wraparound childcare programme to support local authorities in England to work with primary schools and providers to set up and deliver more wraparound childcare before and after school in the term time. The government’s ambition is for all parents of primary school children who need it to be able to access childcare in their local area from 8am to 6pm by September 2026. This will help to ensure that parents have enough childcare to work full time, more hours and with flexible hours. In October 2023, the department published guidance for local authorities on their role to support the expansion of wraparound childcare along with local authority funding allocations. This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wraparound-childcare-guidance-for-local-authorities. In February 2024, the department also published guidance for schools and trusts setting out the expectations of schools in supporting parents to access wraparound childcare. This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wraparound-childcare-guidance-for-schools/responding-to-requests-for-wraparound-childcare. This month, the local authorities of Cambridgeshire, Central Bedfordshire, Kensington and Chelsea, Norfolk and Westminster will be rolling out expanded wraparound provision, five months ahead of the national programme launch in September. These local authorities are forming part of a test and learn phase as ‘early adopters’ to strengthen the delivery of the full rollout.

Childcare: Lincolnshire

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help increase childcare provision in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

David Johnston: In the government’s Spring Budget, the Chancellor of Exchequer announced transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children and the economy. By 2027/28, this government will expect to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping working families with their childcare costs. A commitment has been made to ensure that 30 hours of funded childcare is available for every child over the age of nine months with working parents by September 2025. More parents are going to be able to return to work while balancing childcare commitments, thanks to the government’s £4 billion per year expansion of childcare in England. This is the largest expansion of funded childcare ever and will remove barriers to work for nearly half a million parents with a child under three in England. South Holland and the Deepings constituency is within the area covered by Lincolnshire County Council. Local authorities have received £12 million of local authority delivery support funding for this financial year to support with meeting programme and delivery costs associated with rolling out the expanded early year entitlements, from which Lincolnshire County Council received £125,423. Local authorities have also received a £100 million allocation for local areas to use to make sure childcare settings in their areas have enough physical space, which is anticipated to add thousands of new childcare places across the country. Lincolnshire County Council received £1,461,094 from this fund. Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. Part B of the ‘Early education and childcare’ statutory guidance for local authorities highlights that local authorities are required to report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, and to make this report available and accessible to parents. If Lincolnshire County Council report any sufficiency challenges, the department discusses what action the local authority is taking to address those issues, and where needed, supports them with any specific requirements through its childcare sufficiency support contract.

Electricians: Training

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the lessons learned for her Department of the implementation of the skills electrification project element of the emerging skills projects.

Luke Hall: The Skills Electrification Project was part of the Emerging Skills Projects, which were pilot projects funded by the department to identify future skills needs and develop high-quality modular courses to help address future skills gaps in key sectors. The Skills Electrification Project, as well as the other emerging skills projects, were developed and run by the Advanced Manufacturing Catapult and completed in March 2022. The department recognises the changing nature of skills needs, the importance of emerging skills such as electrification and assesses skills needs for such sectors. For example, the National Grid estimates the electricity network workforce will grow by 400,000 roles by 2050. This includes 260,000 brand new roles, and 140,000 to replace natural attrition such as retirement. This is on top of the existing shortage of crucial workers in the sector. To help meet those needs there are three apprenticeship standards that directly serve the electricity networks sector: community energy specialist (Level 4), building energy management systems (Level 4) and power networks craftsperson (Level 3). Free Courses for Jobs also offers a range of qualifications in electrical disciplines, as well as digital engineering and electrotechnical installation. T Levels in engineering and construction teach young people some of the skills that are crucial to the growth of the UK’s energy networks. Relevant T Levels in engineering, manufacturing, and construction can lead to crucial occupations such as civil engineering technician, electrical engineering technician and technical surveyor.

Special Educational Needs

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that children with SEND are provided with the (a) educational and (b) wider support required by their education, health and care plan in school.

David Johnston: The department shares the ambition that children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) should receive the vital support they need across Education, Health and Care (EHC). As set out in the Children and Families Act 2014, the local authority has a legal duty to ensure that the special educational provision specified in an EHC plan is delivered. The department also has a number of measures in place to ensure that children receive the educational and wider support they need. Where local authorities are failing to deliver consistent outcomes for children and young people with SEND, the department works with them using a set of improvement programmes and SEND specialist advisors to address weaknesses. The department is also investing heavily in the SEND system, including £2.6 billion between 2022 and 2025 to fund new special and alternative provision (AP) places and improve existing support, including the announcement of 41 new special free schools. The department is also taking steps to improve the SEND system in the longer term, so that EHC plans can be issued as quickly as possible when needed and enable children and young people to access the support they require. In March 2023, the government set out its plans to reform and improve the SEND system through its SEND and AP Improvement Plan. This plan commits to establishing a single national system that delivers for every child and young person with SEND so that they enjoy their childhood, achieve good outcomes and are well prepared for adulthood and employment. The department is currently testing measures which it believes will make the biggest improvements to both the quality of plans, the experience of getting a plan and the quality and speed with which support is put in place. The department is strengthening accountability across the system so that everyone is held to account for supporting children and young people. This includes the new Ofsted and Care Quality Commission Area SEND inspection framework, which gives more prominence to the quality integration and commissioning of EHC services, and a national and local dashboard, which gives parents the opportunity to monitor the performance of their local systems. If a child or young person does not receive the support detailed in their EHC plan, the young person or parent can raise their concern with the school or local authority directly. Families can appeal to the First-Tier SEND Tribunal if they are unhappy with a local authority’s decision regarding an EHC assessment or plan. The Tribunal can also hear appeals and make non-binding recommendations about health and social aspects of EHC plans.

Child Arrangements Orders and Special Guardianship Orders

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's data release Pupil absence in schools in England, published on 21 March 2024, how many children were subject to a (a) special guardianship and (b) child arrangements order by (i), age (ii) ethnicity and (iii) local authority in 2022/23.

Damian Hinds: Data on pupils who have ceased to be looked after and are subject to a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) or Child Arrangements Order (CAO) by age, ethnicity and local authority in England in the 2022/23 academic year is attached. The information is taken from the school census, where children are reported as having previously left care due to adoption, a SGO or a CAO only if their parents or carers have declared this information to the school. Therefore, the data is reliant on self-declaration from parents and is partial rather than a full count.21851 Table Attachment  (xlsx, 35.3KB)

Students: Grants

Taiwo Owatemi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing non-repayable maintenance grant funding for higher education students from the least advantaged backgrounds.

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing non-repayable maintenance grants for higher education students from the least advantaged backgrounds.

Luke Hall: The government believes that income-contingent student loans are a fair and sensible way of financing higher education. It is only right that those who benefit from the system should make a fair contribution to its costs. The department has continued to increase maximum loans and grants for living and other costs for undergraduate and postgraduate students each year with a 2.8% increase for the current 2023/24 academic year and a further 2.5% increase announced for the 2024/25 academic year. In addition, the department has frozen maximum tuition fees for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years. By 2024/25, maximum fees will have been frozen for seven successive years. The department believes that the current fee freeze achieves the best balance between ensuring that the system remains financially sustainable, offering good value for the taxpayer and reducing debt levels for students in real terms. The government understands the pressures people have been facing with the cost of living and has taken action to help. The department has already made £276 million of student premium and mental health funding available for the 2023/24 academic year to support successful outcomes for students, including disadvantaged students. The department has also made a further £10 million of one-off support available to help student mental health and hardship funding for the 2023/24 academic year. This funding will complement the help universities are providing through their own bursary, scholarship and hardship support schemes. For the 2024/25 financial year the department has increased the Student Premium, including the full-time, part-time and disabled premium, by £5 million to reflect high demand for hardship support. Further details of this allocation for the 2024/25 academic year will be announced by the Office for Students (OfS) in the summer. Overall, support to households to help with the high cost of living is worth £108 billion over 2022/23 to 2024/25, which is an average of £3,800 per UK household. The department believes this will have eased the pressure on family budgets and so will in turn enable many families to provide additional support to their children in higher education to help them meet increased living costs.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Veterans: Radiation Exposure

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 December 2023 to Question 4035 on Veterans: Radiation Exposure, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the preparation of an instrument under the terms of section 3 of the Public Records Act 1958 to permanently retain the (a) ES and (b) AB series of files that were withdrawn from the National Archives in 2018.

Julia Lopez: Instruments under the terms of section 3 of the Public Records Act 1958 do not permit the permanent retention of records that have been selected for transfer to The National Archives. Instead, retained records must be reviewed by the Department after a maximum period of 10 years.The review of the AB and ES files relating to the UK’s historic nuclear weapons programme is ongoing. The Ministry of Defence published an update on its review in January 2024, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-nuclear-archive-records/review-of-nuclear-archive-records-update-january-2024

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Labour Turnover

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many staff have left her Department since its creation.

Julia Lopez: We centrally hold some of the information requested. As far as data is centrally held, I refer the hon. Member to the Civil Service statistics, for Department for Culture, Media and Sport, at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-service-statistics https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/civilservicestatisticsThe Declaration on Government Reform (2021) stated: "There is however more we must do to attract a broader range of people to the privilege of public service... It should be natural for people with careers and skills built in business to serve in government for a period, and for those in public service to spend time in organisations which are not dependent on public money... We will develop new entry routes from industry, academia, the third sector and the wider public sector, with flexibility to suit those who want to build a career in government and those who want a shorter tour of duty."

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Marketing

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of her Department’s (a) advertising and (b) marketing expenditure was on (i) local newspapers in print and online, (ii) national newspapers in print and online, (iii) social media, (iv) search engines, (v) broadcast and on-demand television and (vi) other channels in the most recent year for which data is available.

Julia Lopez: The department does not hold comprehensive information to the level of detail requested without incurring a disproportionate cost.

Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme

Andy Carter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the (a) value of grants awarded by and (b) number of grant recipients for the Listed Places of Worship Scheme was since 2010.

Julia Lopez: The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme was established to reimburse the VAT paid on repairs and maintenance to the nation's listed places of worship. The grant scheme has been managed by multiple administrators on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport since it was established in 2001, and there are limited data predating 2014. Since 2010, a total of £358,356,027 has been allocated in grant funding to support places of worship throughout the UK. Based on the data the Department does possess, it can be estimated that 22,633 listed places of worship were the recipients of grant funding through the scheme since 2014.

Culture: Local Government Services

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans she has for funding for councils to deliver cultural services in the next two years; and if she will increase such funding.

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding her Department has allocated to councils to deliver cultural services in (a) 2010, (b) 2018 and (c) 2024 as of 17 April 2024.

Julia Lopez: The funding of local cultural services and organisations is a matter for individual local authorities, but the Government strongly supports their doing so, not least because of the significant economic, social, and wellbeing benefits cultural organisations deliver. The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024–25 makes available up to £64.7 billion for local authorities — an increase in Core Spending Power of up to £4.5 billion or 7.5% in cash terms on 2023–24. This above-inflation increase demonstrates the Government’s commitment to supporting local authorities. The majority of this funding is not ring-fenced, so local authorities can consider how best to balance their local priorities.

Sports: Hearing Impairment

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce barriers to entry for young deaf people in sport.

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help increase participation by deaf people in sport.

Stuart Andrew: The government recognises that there are significant benefits to participation in sport and physical activity for disabled people, including D/deaf people at both the grassroots and elite levels.We believe that every child, no matter their background or ability, should have the opportunity to play sport and do regular physical activity.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s arm’s length body, Sport England, is committing £1.2 million between 2022 and 2027 to boost deaf sport at the grassroots level, build wider participation, and develop strong governance within UK Deaf Sport.Sport England have also agreed to work with UK Deaf Sport to help to identify a small number of governing bodies that, on a trial basis, will have their talent pathways supported to be as inclusive to D/deaf athletes as possible. This work with Sport England will help open up opportunities at all levels for D/deaf people.

Ministry of Justice

Restraining Orders: Domestic Abuse

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he (a) is taking and (b) plans to take steps to assess the efficacy of restraining orders in preventing repeat incidents of domestic violence (i) in minority ethnic communities and (ii) generally.

Mike Freer: Restraining orders play an important role in ensuring that victims are appropriately protected, and feel safer, particularly within the context of repeated and/or escalating behaviour that disproportionately impacts women and girls, such as domestic abuse.They are one of several existing protective orders that can be used in cases of domestic abuse to protect a victim, such as Non-Molestation Orders, Stalking Protection Orders, and Domestic Violence Protection Orders.Abusers who breach restraining orders face tough penalties including jail time. Where a restraining order is breached, CPS guidance encourages prosecutors to consider whether a new course of conduct is present and, if so, to ensure that it is prosecuted in addition to the breach in question.Safeguarding victims of all crimes, and particularly from those such as domestic abuse is a priority for this Government. That is why we are going further to protect victims of domestic abuse by piloting a new Domestic Abuse Protection Order from Spring 2024 which will give courts the power to impose exclusion zones, curfews, and electronic monitoring tags on abusers. The order will be independently evaluated to understand its effectiveness in protecting all victims.

Rape: Trials

Dame Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of rape trials that have been postponed within 24 hours' notice in each year since 2010.

Mike Freer: The data held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on ineffective trials does not specifically identify those that have been postponed within 24 hours' notice. This information may be held on court records but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate costs.The Government is committed to improving the Criminal Justice System’s response to adult rape.  This includes the significant progress we have made in delivering our Rape Review Action Plan. Within this plan, we set ourselves stretching ambitions to return the volumes of police referrals to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), CPS charges and Crown Court receipts for adult rape to 2016 levels. In practice, this means more than doubling the number of cases reaching court since the Rape Review was commissioned in 2019. We are pleased to say we have already exceeded these ambitions.We also recognise that lengthy waiting times can be particularly difficult for victims of rape and other serious sexual offences who wish to see justice done and move on with their lives. The Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales has recently announced that all rape cases outstanding for more than two years will be listed by the end of July 2024, providing certainty to those victims that their cases will be prioritised and heard as soon as possible.Alongside the SPJ’s efforts, we continue to make sure we do more than ever to improve timeliness at court. This includes delivering over 107,000 additional sitting days in Crown Courts; opening two permanent ‘super courtrooms’ in Manchester and Loughborough; increasing criminal legal aid spending by £141 million per year; investing over £220 million for essential modernisation and repair work of court buildings (up to March 2025); and investing further in judicial recruitment and retention.We know that support services play a critical role in supporting victims including those engaging with the Criminal Justice System. This is why we are quadrupling funding for victims and witness support services by 2024/25, up from £41 million in 2009/10. The funding will allow us to increase the number of Independent Sexual and Domestic Violence Advisors to around 1,000 by 2025.

Courts

Dame Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the unused court capacity was in each year since 2015.

Mike Freer: HMCTS had the following number of sessions recorded as either available or unavailable since 2015:PeriodAvailable verified sessionsUnavailable verified sessionsFY 15-161,552,49042,692FY 16-171,512,42436,811FY 17-181,387,27037,598FY 18-191,347,64836,507FY 19-201,302,00638,408FY 20-211,062,856130,071FY 21-221,277,03386,511FY 22-231,277,98142,665FY 23-241,281,83848,201 A ‘session’ represents the time that court/hearing room space is available, with up to two sessions available each day. Available and unavailable sessions are recorded for all jurisdictions.HMCTS record a session being unavailable for a number of reasons, including important alternative uses. For example:box workcase-related unavailabilitycommercial use (e.g., filming)community engagementwhere the room is connected to chambers which are in usecourt closures due to severe weather or security incidents, holidays (not public holiday) or formerly due to COVIDexternal meetings (e.g., Court User Group)use for external organisations (e.g., Coroner)Judges office, meeting space, mentoring and/or reading timemaintenance workmediation (parties present)overspill (in support of a hearing taking place elsewhere)room closed due to COVID outbreakstaff meetings and/or trainingvideo link being used for other matterHMCTS’ Courtroom Planner performance database was introduced in April 2015 to collect information on the availability of courtrooms. The data was suspended in April 2020 due to COVID disruption and resumed in September 2020. The data between April and August 2020 is therefore incomplete. The amount of time we use our available estate for hearings is also connected to the funded number of sitting days in any one year, and the availability of key participants such as judiciary and legal professionals. To maintain session levels, we are investing £220m in the two years to March 2025 for essential maintenance and repair work across the estate to ensure we are keeping as many courtrooms open as possible to hear more cases. This two-year capital maintenance allocation enables us to plan major estate projects in advance and with certainty. Maintenance funding is prioritised to sites that need it most, and this investment is a step forward in improving the quality of the court estate. We have a planned pipeline of future works to improve the resilience and quality of the court estate, and this is kept under regular review. We have also introduced additional measures to speed up justice for victims and improve the justice system, including:o Extending 20 Nightingale courtrooms beyond March 2024 to provide additional capacity in the court estate.o Investing in judicial recruitment since 2017 which has resulted in the annual recruitment of approximately 1000 judges and tribunal members across all jurisdictions. In particular, this has led to an overall increase in the number of judges in the Crown Court. Please note all data provided is internal and subject to data quality issues inherent in any large-scale manual system.

Trials

Dame Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average waiting time was for a (a) rape, (b) murder, (c) GBH and (d) robbery trial in each year since 2010.

Mike Freer: We have interpreted waiting time to refer to the time between the date of sending a case to the Crown Court and the start of the substantive Crown Court hearing. The average waiting times of defendants dealt with in rape, murder, GBH and robbery trial cases where a not guilty plea was entered in the Crown Court can be found in the below table based on published annual data from 2014 to 2023. Data prior to 2014 is not available. While the Crown Court is still recovering from the impact of the pandemic and disruptive action from the Bar, which reduced our ability to hear cases swiftly, the latest published statistics show that the median age of cases that are outstanding was around 6 months. We are committed to ensuring the delivery of swift justice for all victims and have introduced a raft of measures to achieve that aim. This includes funding around 107,000 sitting days during the most recent financial year (FY23,24), recruiting up to 1,000 judges annually across all jurisdictions and investing in the continued use of 20 Nightingale courtrooms into this financial year (FY24/25) to allow the courts to work at full capacity.Judges do prioritise cases involving vulnerable complainants and witnesses, and seek to ensure that domestic abuse, serious sexual offences and those with vulnerable witnesses are listed at the first available opportunity. The Senior Presiding Judge has also recently announced that all rape cases outstanding for more than two years at court will be listed by the end of July 2024. Average waiting times (weeks) of defendants dealt with in rape, murder, GBH and robbery for-trial cases where a not guilty plea was entered in the Crown Court, annually, 2014 - 2023 RapeMurderGBHRobberyYearMedianMeanMedianMeanMedianMeanMedianMean201427.629.525.026.326.630.123.924.5201528.931.825.728.828.033.024.428.4201628.030.924.323.125.933.424.027.3201728.831.524.024.624.930.522.624.6201829.632.923.723.724.728.922.623.4201926.730.124.624.524.126.722.923.2202030.632.525.528.927.031.425.427.8202141.044.832.636.936.744.033.939.4202239.744.433.036.635.946.732.443.1202341.748.233.638.536.950.329.747.6

Trials

Dame Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of court trials for (a) rape, (b) sexual assault, (c) violence against a person, (d) murder, (e) theft, (f) possession of weapons and (g) fraud have been delayed each year since 2010.

Mike Freer: We have interpreted your request as relating to ineffective trials, which is where the trial does not take place on the day as planned and requires rescheduling. Ineffective trials happen for a variety of reasons, such as the absence of a defendant or a witness or adjournment requests from either the prosecution or defence.The tables attached set out the data held by the Ministry of Justice on ineffective trials broken down by offence type, in volume and as a proportion of the total listed trials for that offence type. Crown Court data is available from 2014 onwards.The pandemic created a significant challenge for the Crown Court and affected its ability to effectively list trials. As a result, the ineffective trial rate notably increased in 2020, primarily due to increases in defendant illness or absence, and overlisting (55% of all ineffective trials were for these reasons combined).Since 2022, the proportion of ineffective trials in the Crown Court for all offences increased significantly as a result of the Criminal Bar Assocation (CBA) action. While the ineffective trial rate reduced swiftly following the conclusion of the CBA action, in the most recent available data published by the MoJ (October-December 2023), the defence or prosecution not being ready was the largest reason for ineffective trials, accounting for 22% (450) of all ineffective trials.Despite the overall increase in ineffective trials since the pandemic and subsequent CBA action, the latest data shows cases progressed through the Crown Court more quickly throughout 2023, with the median time from receipt to completion reducing from 167 days in the first quarter of 2023, to 125 days in the last quarter.PQ_Table_21517 (xlsx, 23.1KB)

Ministry of Justice: Procurement

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the contract agreed by his Department with Press Data Ltd. on 1 April 2024 under procurement reference 410700/1338489, if he will publish the (a) work specification set out in Schedule 20 of that contract and (b) list of words used by the contractor to generate daily media briefings for his Department.

Mike Freer: A redacted version of Call-Off Schedule 20, which includes the specification, will be published within the next 30 days.The supplier provides the requested search terms as part of the contract service, the search terms themselves are not specified in the contract or any contract documentation and will not be published.

Legal Aid Scheme

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 23 November 2023 to Question 2542 on Legal Aid Scheme: Manchester and Middlesbrough, what progress has been made on preparing the evaluation report into the early legal advice pilot scheme; and when he plans to publish that report.

Mike Freer: We plan to publish all Early Legal Advice Pilot (ELAP) outputs in accordance with Government Social Research protocols very soon.

Ministry of Justice: Marketing

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of his Department’s (a) advertising and (b) marketing expenditure was on (i) local newspapers in print and online, (ii) national newspapers in print and online, (iii) social media, (iv) search engines, (v) broadcast and on-demand television and (vi) other channels in the most recent year for which data is available.

Mike Freer: Over financial year 2022/23, the Ministry of Justice’s communications team delivered highly cost-effective marketing campaigns to support operational and policy priorities, such as our Prison and Probation Service recruitment campaigns. As requested, we have outlined the proportion of the marketing and advertising budget that was spent on advertising broken down in percentages. The categories vary slightly due to the way the data is collected. It is worth noting that due to 2023/24 accounts still being in reconciliation, we are unable to provide data for year 2023/24.  ProportionLocal Print (advertising)0.04%National Print (advertising)0.52%Online job sites (advertising)54.24%Online Media Search advertising15.69%Broadcast and on-demand television (advertising)0%Other13.58%Social media (advertising)15.94%

Immigration: Appeals

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 26 March 2024 to Question 19426 on Immigration: Appeals, how many appeals were made before the (a) First and (b) Upper Tribunal between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2023; how many and what proportion of these appeals were successful; and what the total cost to the public purse was for these appeals.

Mike Freer: Information about appeal receipts in the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) and Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) is routinely published within Tribunals Statistics Quarterly in the main tables. The total number of receipts to the First-tier Tribunal is available in table FIA_1 and for the Upper Tribunal in UIA_1. The proportion of appeals for the First-tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal which were successful is also available as published data and can be found in tables FIA_3 and UIA_3 respectively. The latest quarterly data includes figures to December 2023 and is available here: Tribunals statistics quarterly: October to December 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Data for the Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) receipts, disposals and outcome figures is available up to Q1, April to June 2021. Data from Q2 2021/22 onwards have not been included in this publication as data was migrated to a new IT system and the data is not yet available. Financial information is published for the IAC on an annual basis in the HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) Annual Report, within the fees and charges section. Published information relates to the expenditure and fee income of HMCTS and will not cover financial impacts on other public bodies. Fees and costs cannot be reliably attributed to a particular cohort of appeals. The most recent available data is for Financial Year 2022/23 and is published here HMCTS annual reports and plans - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Civil Proceedings: Finance

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether it is his policy to invest all additional revenue from court and tribunal fees into the Courts and Tribunals Service to help tackle the civil case backlog.

Mike Freer: Additional income raised from court and tribunal fees will make a significant contribution to vital work taking place across the Department to facilitate an effective and efficient justice system. This includes our continuous efforts to improve HMCTS service performance and reduce court backlogs.Fees generated £727 million in income for the Ministry of Justice in 2022/23 out of the total c.£2.3 billion that it cost to run HMCTS. The recent round of fee uplifts is expected to raise another £30 million – £37 million a year in additional income.

Prisoners' Release: Housing

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Community Accommodation Service Tier 3 programme in ensuring prison leavers find settled accommodation following up to 12 weeks of temporary accommodation.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of prison leavers went on to live in settled accommodation after using the Community Accommodation Service Tier 3 in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Edward Argar: HMPPS Community Accommodation Service (CAS) provides transitional accommodation via three tiers of support, each focused on a different cohort. CAS3 was launched in July 2021, providing up to 12 weeks’ guaranteed accommodation on release for those leaving prison at risk of homelessness, with support to move on to settled accommodation. Initially implemented in five probation regions (Yorkshire and the Humber; North West; Greater Manchester; East of England; and Kent, Surrey and Sussex), the service was rolled out to Wales in June 2022. From April 2023, the CAS3 service was operating in all probation regions in England and Wales. By January 2023, the proportion of offenders housed on the first night of their release from custody was 7.6 percentage points higher in CAS3 regions versus non-CAS3 regions. We are undertaking an evaluation of the impact of CAS3 on offenders’ obtaining settled accommodation and employment, and on re-offending outcomes. The report is due to be published in the autumn. The National Audit Office’s report “Improving resettlement support for prison leavers to reduce reoffending”, published in May 2023, looks at the impact of CAS3 on accommodation outcomes during the period up to February 2023. It can be accessed via the following link:https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/improving-resettlement-support-for-prison-leavers-to-reduce-reoffending.pdf.

Prisoners' Release: Housing

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure people leaving prison have settled accommodation upon release.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to help ensure prison leavers do not become homeless upon release.

Edward Argar: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is committed to preventing homelessness and works closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and the Welsh Government to do so. Prisons and probation have a statutory duty to refer someone at risk of homelessness to a local authority for assistance, and we have worked closely with DLUHC on the design and delivery of their Accommodation for Ex-Offenders scheme. We have set up a Cross-Whitehall Accommodation Board, attended by officials from MoJ, HMPPS, Welsh Government and DLUHC, to ensure collaboration across policy and operational areas. In the year to March 2023, 86% of prison leavers were in accommodation on their first night of release from custody (excluding cases where the status was unknown). This is up from 80% in 2019-20, the year immediately before our accommodation investments began.In July 2021, we launched our groundbreaking Community Accommodation Service Tier-3 in five probation regions, to guarantee up to 12-weeks temporary accommodation to prison leavers subject to probation supervision who are at risk of homelessness on release, including those released under the End of Custody Supervised Licence measure. From April 2023, the service was expanded across all probation regions in England and Wales and continues to bring new beds online as the service embeds. By January 2023, the proportion of offenders housed on the first night of their release from custody was 7.6 percentage points higher in CAS3 regions versus non-CAS3 regions.

Community Orders

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for how many and what proportion of people on community sentences with a supervision element was a breach recorded in the last year for which figures are available.

Edward Argar: The supervision requirement was phased out with the introduction of Offender Rehabilitation Act 2014, therefore we have used the Rehabilitation Activity Requirement as the data source in this response as the best match to Supervision. Between 01/04/2022 and 31/03/2023, the last full year for which data is available, breaches were initiated one or more times for 39,617 individuals with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement as part of their Community Sentence. During this period, the typical number of persons with an active Rehabilitation Activity Requirement was 84,608. As the caseload will vary, with a vast number of sentences commencing and ending on a daily basis, it is not possible to provide a figure for the proportion of those with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, with a breach recorded. It should be noted that a breach being initiated does not necessarily mean that a breach was heard at court, or resulted in a Court hearing, they may instead have been withdrawn due to renewed compliance, at the Probation Practitioner’s professional judgement. Breaches are undertaken for a number of reasons, including non-attendance, unacceptable behaviour and commission of further offences. Data are as at 16/04/2024. Data are sourced from nDelius and while these data have been assured as much as practical, as with any large administrative dataset, the data should not be assumed to be accurate to the last value presented.

Reoffenders

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of people recalled to prison were recalled due to (a) new offences, (b) a lack of address and (c) non-compliance with appointments in the latest 12 months for which data is available.

Edward Argar: Public protection is our priority. The decision to recall on offender on licensed supervision is taken on the professional advice of senior probation staff following consideration of safe alternatives to recall. Where offenders are recalled, it is because they present a risk of serious harm to the public and the controls available are no longer sufficient to keep the public safe. These individuals will remain in prison for only as long as necessary to protect the public. Reasons for recall are recorded and published as set out in the table below. Further breakdown of recall reasons is not possible without significant manual checks.Recall periodOct-Dec 2022Jan-Mar 2023*Apr-Jun 2023Jul-Sep 2023% ProportionTotal Recalls6,0926,8246,8147,030 Facing further charge1,8211,9771,8831,81528Non-compliance4,3785,0475,0385,37674Failed to keep in touch1,9602,1402,1102,28632Failed to reside1,6131,7921,8101,92027Drugs/alcohol4134374895777Poor Behaviour - Relationships2052142122243HDC - Time violation1241311711512HDC - Inability to monitor657571811Failed home visit897873861HDC - Failed installation372930511HDC - Equipment Tamper9215110Other1,0911,2991,3041,29619 * Figures for Jan-Mar 2023 have been revised since last publication.The table includes instances of offenders recalled multiple times.Recall reasons do not sum to the total number of recalls published, as more than one reason can be recorded against each recall. We routinely publish recall data at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly.

Community Orders

Dame Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the average time from sentence to start of community payback in each year since 2015.

Dame Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have not completed their first session of community payback.

Edward Argar: YearAverage days from sentence to start of Community PaybackNumber of offenders who did not complete their first session of Community PaybackTotal caseload2021878,83044,1082022637,82247,4212023376,60448,058 The dataset includes all offenders starting an order with a community payback requirement between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2023. The start of the community payback requirement has been defined as either the first attended session of group work, or an individual placement, or the completion of Employment, Training and Education work.There are a variety of reason why a person hasn't completed their first community payback session. These include receiving a custodial sentence or remanded into custody, recall to prison, a warrant for their arrest, deportation, suitability of sentence and non -compliance. For issues of suitability or non-compliance requirements are returned to court for appropriate action to be taken.People whose first community payback session took place over a year from their order start date have been excluded from the average days calculation as additional court work would need to be completed to ensure that the first session was worked within a lawful period.People who have not completed a first work session have also been excluded from the average day calculation, along with those where a first work session has been recorded after the community payback requirement was terminated.The 2023 figure is subject to change as offenders sentenced in late 2023 will still have time to complete their first community payback session.Centrally collected data are only available from 2021.Between 2021 and 2023, a total of 23,256 offenders did not complete their first session of community payback.This figure is subject to change as offenders sentenced in late 2023 will still have time to complete their first community payback session.Data as at 15 April 2024. Data are sourced from nDelius and while these data have been assured as much as practical, as with any large administrative dataset, the data should not be assumed to be accurate to the last value presented.

Reoffenders: Sentencing

Dame Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prisoners sentenced to custodial sentences had previously received at least one (a) community and (b) suspended sentence in each year since 2010.

Gareth Bacon: Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the independent judiciary and, by law, courts are required to be satisfied that the offence committed is so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified, and even when that threshold is met, courts are able to consider whether a community sentence would be more suitable in that particular case. In many cases, sentences served in the community can more effectively reduce reoffending when compared to short custodial sentences.Data showing the number and proportion of prisoners sentenced to custodial sentences, who have previously had at least one community order or suspended sentence order respectively for each year since 2010, is drawn from the Police National Computer. This can be viewed in the table below. Table showing the number and proportion of offender s(1), (2) sentenced to immediate custody(3) in each year since 2010(4), who previously(5) received at least one community order(6) or suspended sentence order respectively(7), prior to the immediate custodial sentence. England and Wales(8).YearNumber of offenders who received at least one community order prior to an immediate custodial sentenceProportion of offenders who received at least one community order prior to an immediate custodial sentenceNumber of offenders who received at least one suspended sentence order prior to an immediate custodial sentenceProportion of offenders who received at least one suspended sentence order prior to an immediate custodial sentence201034,55040%23,60228%201140,13446%25,87029%201242,18349%26,21631%201341,20152%26,67033%201441,96254%27,74636%201541,69954%28,38137%201642,98555%30,13838%201741,42456%30,01041%201838,31857%28,11242%201935,52458%25,63442%202028,62359%20,89543%202128,52355%20,89841%202227,23056%20,33942%Source: MoJ extract of the Police National Computer1 - 'Proportion' refers to the number of offenders in each year who received an immediate custodial sentence in each year and had at least one previous community order or suspended sentence order respectively as a proportion of all offenders who received an immediate custodial sentence in the same year.2 - Offenders are counted once in each year but may appear in multiple years if they received an immediate custodial sentence in more than one of the years.3 - Immediate custodial sentences include types of detention other than adult prison (e.g. detention and training orders given to 10 to 17 year olds or detention in Young Offenders Institutions). An offender sentenced to immediate custody does not necessarily mean that the offender is a member of the prison population.4 - The figures for 2020 and 2021 are likely to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.5 - Previous community orders or suspended sentence orders respectively may have been received at any time prior to the index offence (last immediate custodial sentence) in each year.6 - Community orders strictly include community orders, with or without electronic monitoring or curfew restrictions, but excludes other types of community sentences (e.g. youth rehabilitation order, supervision orders) and other sentences that may be served in the community (e.g. suspended sentence orders). At least some of the orders included were only introduced in their current form in 2005.7 – individuals can be present in both columns8 - England and Wales includes all 43 police force areas plus the British Transport Police

Prisoners' Release

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department has published on when a person with an end of custody supervised licence should be recalled to prison.

Edward Argar: Public protection is our priority. Offenders released early on ECSL are subject to a standard supervision licence which is designed to enable the Probation Service to manage the risk that offenders may pose on release from prison and to safeguard public protection. The recall process is the same for those released on ECSL and other standard releases. The decision to recall an offender on licensed supervision is taken on the professional advice of senior probation staff following consideration of safe alternatives to recall. Where offenders are recalled, it is because they present a risk of serious harm to the public and the controls available are no longer sufficient to keep the public safe. These individuals will remain in prison for only as long as necessary to protect the public. Guidance on the recall of offenders to prison is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/recall-review-and-re-release-of-recalled-prisoners.

Prisoners' Release

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish a complete list of prisons in England and Wales in which the 18-day prisoner early release scheme has (a) applied and (b) continues to apply.

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which prisons will be included in the extension of the end of custody supervised licence measure from 35 to 60-days.

Edward Argar: End of Custody Supervised Licence (ECSL) is a temporary measure and is used in a targeted way where its use is only where it is absolutely necessary. For this reason, the list of prisons varies according to need.

Prisoners' Release

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure support is provided to prison leavers between the end of the HM Prison and Probation Services' Creating Future Opportunities CFO3 project and CFO Activity Hubs and delivery of the CFO Evolution programme; and how information will be disseminated to prison leavers.

Edward Argar: We will deliver continuous support for prison leavers during the transition from the CFO3 and CFO Activity Hubs programmes to the CFO Evolution programme by allowing adequate implementation and migration time as appropriate between the existing and new programmes. Information about the CFO programmes will be disseminated to prison leavers by the current and new providers and the HMPPS CFO team. Comprehensive mobilisation and transition plans are in place to ensure participants on the programme will notice little difference during this period.

Prisons: Clinical Psychologists

Dame Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many psychologists were employed in prisons on average in each year since 2010.

Edward Argar: The quarterly HMPPS workforce statistics publication covers staffing information, and the latest publication covers data up to 31 December 2023. The average number of psychologists is given in table 1 below.   Table 1 - Average number of psychologists1 in HMPPS 2 for each calendar year from 2010 to 2023(full-time equivalent)Calendar Year Total2010 5682011 5492012 5222013 5072014 5072015 5442016 6152017 6542018 6982019 7622020 7982021 8162022 8742023 862 Notes1. Only including staff in HMPPS bands 5 to 11 and will include trainee psychologists. Staff in groupworker or administrative roles in psychology at bands 3 and 4 are excluded.2. Psychologists employed in the Probation Service are not included.

Prisons: Crimes of Violence

Dame Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison staff required hospital treatment following a prisoner assault in each year since 2015.

Edward Argar: The number of incidents of a prisoner assault leading to a prison staff member requiring hospital treatment 2018-2022 can be found in the attached table. Data on staff assaults for the calendar year 2023 is subject to future publication on 25 April, in ‘Safety in custody: quarterly update to December 2023’.Changes were made to the recording of assaults in April 2017 that affects the reporting of hospitalisation. This change means that a comparable time series for this question can only be provided from 2018 onwards.Staff must be able to expect a safe and decent work environment. We will not tolerate any violence against prison officers, and prisoners who are violent towards staff will face the full consequences of their actions.We are committed to making prisons a safe place to work and providing prison officers with the right support, training and tools to empower them to do their jobs.To protect staff and prisoners in very serious assaults, we have rolled out PAVA – a synthetic pepper spray – for use by prison officers in the adult male estate. Staff are able to use the PAVA spray where there is serious violence or an imminent or perceived risk of it.We have rolled out a new Body Worn Video Camera system which has increased the overall number of cameras across public sector prisons to over 13,000. This enables every operational band 3-5 officer on shift to wear a camera. They are supported by a new Policy Framework which mandates the wearing of the cameras.PQ_21513_table (xlsx, 18.2KB)

Cabinet Office

D F Press: Contracts

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the contract agreed by his Department with DF Press on 24 March 2024 under procurement reference CCCS23A10, for what purpose the press office services to be provided under that contract are required; and if he will publish schedule 20 of that contract agreement.

Alex Burghart: In common with many arms-length bodies, the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC) has a separate press officer to ensure that the Commission can be fully accountable to the public, the Government and Parliament, and to support its independent advisory role to the Prime Minister.It is Cabinet Office policy to publish Contracts with a value of over £10,000 on Contracts Finder within 30 days of Contract Award. Crown Commercial Service, Cabinet Office’s procurement arm, has published the Contract Schedules in accordance with the publication timescales and the information is now available.

Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has had discussions with the Chair of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry on the estimated publication date of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report.

Alex Burghart: The Grenfell Tower Inquiry is a statutory Inquiry established under the Inquiries Act 2005. Under the terms of the Act, the drafting of an inquiry final report and the timing of that process are both matters for the independent Chair of the inquiry. The Inquiry publishes regular updates on the progress of its final report. In their April 2024 Newsletter published on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry website at https://www.grenfelltowerinquiry.org.uk/news/april-2024-newsletter, they emphasised that the current phase of the inquiry is reaching its final stages, and reiterated their commitment and determination to publish the report as soon as possible. Further updates to timelines will be published on the website as and when they become known.

Prime Minister's Office: Labour Turnover

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff left the Prime Minister's Office in each year since 2015.

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff left the UK Statistics Authority in each year since 2015.

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff left the Crown Commercial Service in each year since 2015.

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff left the Government Property Agency in each year since 2015.

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff left the Civil Service Commission in each year since 2015.

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff of advisory non-departmental public bodies left those bodies in each year since 2015.

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Security Vetting Appeals Panel staff have left that organisation in each year since 2015.

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Senior Salaries Review Body staff have left that organisation in each year since 2015.

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Social Mobility Commission staff have left that organisation in each year since 2015.

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee staff have left that organisation in each year for which data is available.

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Commissioner for Public Appointments staff have left that organisation in each year since 2015.

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Equality Hub staff have left that organisation in each year since 2015.

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Evaluation Task Force staff have left that organisation in each year since 2015.

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Government Equalities Office staff have left that organisation in each year since 2015.

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Government Estates Management staff have left that organisation in each year since 2015.

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Infrastructure and Projects Authority staff have left that organisation in each year since 2015.

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists staff have left that organisation in each year since 2015.

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many UK Commission on Covid Commemoration staff have left that organisation in each year since its creation.

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil service staff have left in each year since 2015.

John Glen: We centrally hold some of the information requested. In as far as data is centrally held, I refer the hon. Member to the Civil Service statistics, for the Cabinet Office, at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-service-statisticshttps://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/datasets/civilservicestatistics The Declaration on Government Reform (2021) stated: "There is however more we must do to attract a broader range of people to the privilege of public service... It should be natural for people with careers and skills built in business to serve in government for a period, and for those in public service to spend time in organisations which are not dependent on public money... We will develop new entry routes from industry, academia, the third sector and the wider public sector, with flexibility to suit those who want to build a career in government and those who want a shorter tour of duty."

Women and Equalities

Equality Advisory and Support Service

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many enquiries the Equality Advisory and Support Service has responded to in each of the last five years.

Stuart Andrew: We do not routinely collect this information. The member may wish to ask EASS for it directly. However, it may be of interest for the Member to note that the EASS receives around 3,000 calls per month and has a stringent Key Performance Indicator that requires operators to answer 85% of all calls within 30 seconds. That target is routinely met. In a recent customer satisfaction survey nearly 90% of respondents were ‘Satisfied’ or higher with the service that they received.

Equality and Human Rights Commission: Labour Turnover

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many staff left the Equality and Human Rights Commission in each year since 2015.

Stuart Andrew: As an executive non-departmental public body that is operationally independent, this is for the Equality and Human Rights Commission to respond. I have attached the response from the Interim Chief Executive below.EHRC Letter (pdf, 32.6KB)

Home Office

Home Office Islamic Network

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department provides funding to the Home Office Islamic Network; and how much staff time was taken to run that network in the last 12 months.

Tom Tugendhat: Faith and Belief networks in the Home Office do not receive any Home Office funding for their activities. The chairs of all Faith and Belief networks including Christian, Islamic, Jewish Networks, Hindu Connection and Sikh Association are permitted up to 20% facility time with executive committee members receiving 10% to carry out network related activities.

Migrants: Domestic Abuse

Alex Davies-Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2024 to Question 17238 on Migrants: Domestic Violence, for what reason his Department does not routinely publish information on the concession or immediate settlement for migrant victims of domestic abuse in a reportable format; and if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of publishing the number of individuals who have claimed indefinite leave to remain through the Destitute Domestic Violence Concession (a) in each year between 2018 and 2023 and (b) annually from 2024.

Tom Pursglove: Data relating to specific concessions within the Act are not published as part of the National Statistics series. The latest quarterly Immigration Systems Statistics were published in February 2024, and include data for the period to December 2023. Table Se_04, “Grants of settlement to spouses on the basis of marriage”, is included within the Settlement summary tables: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65d8880b54f1e70011165916/settlement-summary-dec-2023-tables.xlsx.Table Se_04 provides data on persons “Granted settlement due to domestic violence after leave to remain granted as a spouse”. The published statistics do not show how many or what proportion of these would have applied under DDVC.There are currently no plans to publish the requested information within these tables. However, the contents of all tables are regularly reviewed to ensure they are appropriate and meet the requirements of users.

British Nationality

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of applications for citizenship were refused in each year since 1994.

Tom Pursglove: Historical data relating to those who applied to naturalise/registration can be found here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65d8886b87005a001180f8d9/citizenship-summary-dec-2023-tables.ods.These summary tables report those who were naturalised, registered, or refused on tab Cit_02 since 1987.

Refugees: Afghanistan

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information his Department holds on the number of Afghan nationals who are family members of individuals resettled to the UK under pathway 1 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme who have (a) applied for and (b) been granted (i) entry clearance under refugee family reunion rules, (ii) leave outside those rules and (iii) leave to enter or remain in the UK under other immigration routes.

Tom Pursglove: The Government continues to work with partners in the region to evacuate eligible people and are committed to bringing more Afghans to the UK in the long term. This includes eligible immediate family members of those being resettled under both the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).Public data giving the requested breakdown of family members is not available; however, the latest published statistics, summarised at Afghan Resettlement Programme: operational data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), show that, at the end of December 2023, 10,520 have been relocated under ACRS, with 9,706 individuals resettled under Pathway 1 of this scheme so far.For those evacuated from Afghanistan under ACRS Pathway 1 without their immediate family members, the Home Secretary has committed to establishing a route for separated families to be reunited in the first half of this year. Further details will be provided in due course.

Asylum: Homelessness

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an estimate of the number of asylum seekers presenting as homeless.

Tom Pursglove: Asylum seekers are not eligible for statutory homelessness assistance. The Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide accommodation to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute while their application for asylum is being considered.

Migrant Workers: Sponsorship

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason sponsors are required to obtain consent from people they are sponsoring abroad before his Department will process queries; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of this change on the processing time of sponsorship cases.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department has taken to support sponsors in obtaining consent from persons abroad within the five-day deadline; and what support his Department provides for cases where obtaining such consent within the deadline is not possible.

Tom Pursglove: Data protection legislation requires the sponsor of an application to have written consent from the applicant giving them permission to receive information about their immigration matter before the Home Office can share details about the application with the sponsor.The processing of applications is not itself affected by this requirement.For MP enquiries, the MP Account Management (MPAM) Team require third party constituents to provide evidence of permission to show they are acting on behalf of another data subject. This is known as a Letter of Authority (LOA). MPs are given five working days to provide an LOA. If the MP has difficulties obtaining a LOA in this period, the Home Office will extend this period as long as they are notified that an extension is required within the original 5 working day window.

Visas: Skilled Workers

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of the applications from Tier 1 (General) migrants which were refused under paragraph 322(5) that were subject to review have been decided following the completion of the Review of applications by Tier 1 (General) migrants refused under paragraph 322(5) of the Immigration Rules.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when people whose cases had been on hold as part of the Review of applications by Tier 1 (General) migrants refused under paragraph 322(5) of the Immigration Rules and where time spent in the UK as such a migrant formed a part of the consideration can expect to receive a decision on their outstanding applications.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office does not publish statistics on legacy cases.Currently, there is one outstanding case which will be concluded shortly.

Asylum: Hotels

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Department's press release entitled 100th asylum hotel set to close next week, published on 20 March 2024, how many of the 100 hotels closed by the end of March 2024 were used to accommodate personnel relocating through the (a) Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy and (b) Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme and their families.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Department's press release entitled 100th asylum hotel set to close next week, published on 20 March 2024, how many of the 100 hotels closed by the end of March 2024 were located in each (a) region and (b) constituency.

Tom Pursglove: None of the 100 hotels were used to accommodate people relocating through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy or the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation (including in contingency hotels and other contingency accommodation) is published in table Asy_D11 here: Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Data is published on a quarterly basis. The Home Office does not publish a breakdown of statistics which disaggregates the number of hotels used to house asylum seekers by region or constituency.

Immigration Controls: Airports

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that people with similar names to people on watchlists are not harassed during border checks at airports.

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the treatment that people with similar names to people on watchlists receive during border checks at airports.

Tom Pursglove: Our priority is to maintain a secure border. We will not compromise on this. Border Force performs checks on all passengers arriving at the UK border on scheduled services to identify individuals who pose, or are suspected to pose, a risk to the national interest.Identities, and combinations of names and dates of birth, are not necessarily unique. Individuals who share names with persons of interest may experience closer examination than would otherwise be the case.The Home Office is making significant investment to improve the underlying technical infrastructure which performs border checks to identify individuals more precisely. This will reduce the number of individuals incorrectly matched to persons of interest and enable Border Force to identify more quickly individuals who are not to be confused with persons of interest. We expect these improvements to start having effect over the summer.

Asylum: Hotels

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many hotels were used to temporarily accommodate asylum seekers on 31 December (a) 2023 and (b) expected to be used by 2024.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office has been clear that the use of hotels is a temporary and necessary measure to ensure we meet our statutory obligation to accommodate destitute asylum seekers.We have made rapid progress since autumn 2023, having handed back over 100 hotels to their local communities. Over 20,000 fewer asylum seekers are accommodated in hotels now than in September 2023. In total, we will have closed 150 hotels by the beginning of May 2024.Our statutory accommodation needs are kept under continuous review, and we will write to MPs and local authorities as further decisions on hotels are made.For the safety and security of individual premises, the Home Office does not publish statistics showing the number or location of hotels used to house asylum seekers. However, provisional internal management information indicates a total of 342 hotels were accommodating asylum seekers as of 31 December 2023.

UK Border Force: Dogs

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2023 to Question 2884 on UK Border Force: Dogs and with reference to the Answer of 31 July 2017 to Question 5188 on UK Border Force: Dogs, for what reason his Department was able to provide that information to Question 5188.

Tom Pursglove: Home Office concerns about the operations of Border Force lead to the information being deemed sensitive and not for public release; I refer the Rt Hon Member to the previous answer expressing concerns about the impact on the security of our borders.

UK Border Force: Reasonable Adjustments

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 38 of the Independent review of Border Force by Alexander Downer, published on 20 July 2022, whether he has made an estimate of the number and proportion of Heathrow Border Force Officers that have been informed of changes to their reasonable adjustments since that report was published.

Tom Pursglove: No members of staff have had their reasonable adjustments changed as a consequence of the Heathrow Change Programme.

Department for Transport

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation: Electricity Generation

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to include renewable electricity within the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation.

Anthony Browne: The Government is currently supporting the rollout of public electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure through targeted grants, the Local EV Infrastructure Fund and the Rapid Charging Fund. However, the Government continues to review all options to support the continued rollout of public EV chargepoints.Last year, the Department commissioned independent research into potential regulation-based options that may be required to support the continued rollout of public EV chargepoints from mid-2020s, including their opportunities, risks and likely impact. Options under consideration include the potential merits of including renewable electricity in the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation. This research is still in progress.

Department for Transport: Fraud

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to reduce the costs of fraud in his Department in the last three financial years.

Anthony Browne: Since the establishment of the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) in 2022, the Department has been working closely with PSFA to implement the Counter Fraud Functional Standard framework, a common set of standards required by government departments to counter fraud, bribery, and corruption. To support compliance with the Functional Standard, the Department internally published its Counter Fraud, Bribery and Corruption Strategy for 2022-2025 to improve culture and awareness and build on the counter fraud activity delivered since the launch of DfT’s first strategy in 2019.The following key activities have taken place to drive improvements in reducing fraud by improving detection activity, enhancing fraud prevention and building capability.To support detection activity the department utilises Spotlight, a due diligence tool provided to departments by the Cabinet Office to help identify areas of risk and potential fraud and error. The department has also commenced a data analytics project utilising artificial intelligence to identify instances of fraud and error within high-risk spending areas. This initiative is providing comprehensive insights into fraudulent activities and errors that can be used to further strengthen controls and seek recovery of funds where fraud or error is identified. The Department’s contract management teams have furthermore increased their focus on fraud risks and detection, resulting in substantial sums recovered and returned to the Exchequer. Detected, prevented and recovered fraud is formally disclosed to the Cabinet Office who report publicly on these results across government in their annual Fraud Landscape Report.On fraud prevention, a Fraud Risk Assessment (FRA) policy was introduced to enable accountable officers across DfT to take responsibility in ensuring that fraud, bribery, and corruption risks are adequately understood and effectively managed. The FRA process has been embedded into business-as-usual activity and has supported the department in identifying fraud risks, driving control improvements, and fostering continuous improvement in fraud risk management practices.To build capability DfT has increased its engagement with the PSFA to enhance oversight, prioritisation of risks, delivery against counter fraud functional standards and sharing of best practice. We have increased our collaboration across the departmental group and across government networks to share lessons learnt, horizon scan for new and emerging trends and deliver collaborative best practice workshops, training sessions and awareness campaigns on areas of development e.g. risk assessment.In 2023 and early 2024, DfT was one of the first departments assessed under the latest framework by PSFA for compliance against the Counter Fraud Functional Standard. The Department is now working with PSFA to take forward the recommendations from this review to drive further improvements in the Department’s counter-fraud function.

A1: Lincolnshire

Alicia Kearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many recorded accidents have there been on the A1 between Peterborough and the Colsterworth interchange in the last five years.

Guy Opperman: DfT road casualty statistics provide numbers of personal injury road traffic collisions in Great Britain that were reported to the police using the STATS19 reporting system. The number of reported personal injury road collisions on the A1 between Peterborough and the Colsterworth interchange for the last 5 available published years can be found in the table below.   Reported personal injury road collisions on the A1 between Peterborough and the Colsterworth interchange, 2018 and 2022 by collision severityYearFatal or SeriousSlightAll collisions201813314420191317302020113142021102434202292332 Further information can be found online, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/road-accidents-and-safety-statistics

Roads: Accidents

Alicia Kearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many accidents were recorded on the (a) A1, (b) A2 and (c) A5 in each of the last five years.

Guy Opperman: DfT road casualty statistics provide numbers of personal injury road traffic collisions in Great Britain that were reported to the police using the STATS19 reporting system. The number of reported personal injury road collisions on the A1, A2 and A5 in the last 5 available years can be found in the table below.  Reported personal injury road collisions on the A1, A2 and A5, 2018 to 2022  Road Name20182019202020212022A1604590436462538A2527570428466464A5510514413451428 Further information can be found online, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/road-accidents-and-safety-statistics

Roads: Property Development

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up on the obligations of developers to repair roads (a) adjacent to development sites and (b) on routes where used by trucks accessing development sites.

Guy Opperman: This is a matter for Local Authorities and developers, who must agree any works that are needed to be made to the public road network resulting from developments. This is usually formalised in agreements under section 278 of the Highways Act 1980. Highway authorities will also agree traffic management and routes for Heavy Good Vehicles accessing development sites. Highway authorities are empowered to manage their own networks in line with their duties.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an estimate of the number of pothole-related damages to vehicles in Warwickshire in each year since 2010.

Guy Opperman: Under the 1980 Highways Act, local highway authorities, such as Warwickshire County Council, are responsible for maintaining and managing the local highway network within their area. For the 2024/25 financial year, the Government is providing Warwickshire County Council with over £18.2 million for highway maintenance. This includes £2.056 million of reallocated HS2 funding and is a 12.7% increase over the funding the Council was expecting in 2024/25 before the Prime Minister’s Network North announcement. It is up to the respective highway authority how best to spend this funding to fulfil their statutory duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980. Funding is not ring fenced and Warwickshire can spend the money on all aspects of highway maintenance such as bridges, cycleways, and lighting columns – and not just the fixing of potholes.

Electric Scooters: Regulation

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure riders comply with e-scooter regulations.

Anthony Browne: Outside of Government rental trials, e-scooters are motor vehicles under section 185(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988. Using them on a public road is a criminal offence, which can carry significant penalties on prosecution, including potentially unlimited fines and disqualification from driving. It is a matter for Chief Police Officers and Police and Crime Commissioners how they conduct enforcement in their respective constabularies.

Department for Transport: Marketing

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of his Department’s (a) advertising and (b) marketing expenditure was on (i) local newspapers in print and online, (ii) national newspapers in print and online, (iii) social media, (iv) search engines, (v) broadcast and on-demand television and (vi) other channels in the most recent year for which data is available.

Anthony Browne: The Department for Transport Statutory Advertising spend totalled £579,466.32 between February 2023 and January 2024. This included £434,383 in local newspapers and £143.830 in national newspapers. The Department for Transport net media spend under the ‘it’s everyone’s journey’ and THINK! road safety campaigns in financial year 2023/24 totalled £3,421,441. This included £777,244 in social media, £549,817 broadcast and on-demand television and £2,094,380 in other channels.

Electric Vehicles: Taxis

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Mayor of London on licensing electric black cabs.

Guy Opperman: Whilst the Secretary of State for Transport has not had any direct discussion with the Mayor of London on licensing electric taxis, revised best practice guidance was issued to all licensing authorities in November last year recommending they enable as many types of vehicles as possible to be licensed. Licensing authorities should give very careful consideration to a policy that automatically rules out particular types of vehicle or prescribes only one type or a small number of types of vehicle.

Roads: Warickshire

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the impact of potholes on drivers in Warwickshire.

Guy Opperman: The Secretary of State is keen to support motorists in Warwickshire, and elsewhere, by mitigating the impact of potholes. Under the 1980 Highways Act, local highway authorities, such as Warwickshire County Council, are responsible for maintaining and managing the local highway network within their area. For the 2024/25 financial year, the Government is providing Warwickshire County Council with over £18.2 million for highway maintenance. This includes £2.056 million of reallocated HS2 funding and is a 12.7% increase over the funding the Council was expecting in 2024/25 before the Prime Minister’s Network North announcement. It is up to the respective highway authority how best to spend this funding to fulfil their statutory duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980. Funding is not ring fenced and Warwickshire can spend the money on all aspects of highway maintenance such as bridges, cycleways, and lighting columns – and not just the fixing of potholes.

High Speed 2 Line: Land

Sarah Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans the Government has for land that was formerly earmarked for HS2.

Huw Merriman: Any property that is no longer required will be disposed of and a programme is being developed to do this. We will ensure it is compliant with requirements on the disposal of surplus government property, delivers value for money for taxpayers and does not disrupt local property markets.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Internet: Safety

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will hold discussions with the Leader of the House on making parliamentary time available for scrutiny of Ofcom’s guidance on age verification and age assurance before publication of a government response.

Saqib Bhatti: Parliamentary scheduling is a matter for the Business Managers.   The government is focused on implementing the Online Safety Act as quickly as possible. Ofcom published its consultation on draft guidance about use of age assurance for sites displaying pornographic content on 5 December 2023, and this was open for responses until 5 March 2024. The Act requires that Ofcom consult with the Secretary of State before producing this guidance.For the broader duties under the Act about protecting children from harmful content, we expect Ofcom to publish its draft codes of practice later in the Spring. The Act requires that codes of practice are laid in both Houses before coming into force.

Online Safety Act 2023

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much Ofcom has spent to implement the Online Safety Act 2023; and how many staff have been (a) hired by and (b) seconded to Ofcom for implementation of that Act.

Saqib Bhatti: As published in the NAO’s report on preparedness for online safety, Ofcom spent £2.7m in 2020-21, £14.7m in 2021-22, £38.2m in 2022-23 and their spend in 2023-24 is to be confirmed, noting the Government-set spending cap is £47m. This report can be found here: www.nao.org.uk/reports/preparedness-for-online-safety-regulation/ The Government’s intention is that the regulation of online safety will become cost neutral to the exchequer. The Online Safety Act 2023 allows Ofcom to raise the required income to cover the costs of running the online safety regime, including set up costs, through industry fees. As of March 2024, there are 202 colleagues in Ofcom’s Online Safety Directorate. Beyond the Online Safety Directorate, there are employees within Ofcom's Legal and Enforcement, Research and Analytics, Strategy and Research, and Corporate groups that also work full time on Ofcom's online safety work.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Fraud

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department and its predecessor Department have taken to reduce the costs of fraud in the Department in the last three financial years.

Andrew Griffith: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) was established on 7th February 2023. Prior to this date the portfolio for DSIT sat within the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The published BEIS Annual Report & Accounts provide a summary of counter fraud activity and respective costs related to fraud. The Cross-Government Fraud Landscape Annual Report 2022 highlights the latest available data relating to fraud and error across government. Presently, as for all Government Departments, DSIT counter fraud activity is governed by Government Functional Standards for Counter Fraud, covering both proactive and reactive counter fraud activity, and set out by the Government Counter Fraud Function (GCFF). Adherence to standards is monitored and reviewed by the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA). In 2022/23 the PSFA set a target of delivering £180 million of savings to the taxpayer. In fact, the PSFA far surpassed this within the first 12 months by preventing and recovering £311 million. As it enters its second year, the PSFA has a target of achieving £185 million of savings for the taxpayer. The Government has also announced an additional £34 million to deploy cutting edge tools and Artificial Intelligence tools to help combat fraud across the public sector, saving £100 million for the public purse. This is in addition to existing partnerships between PSFA and the tech sector. The Government is determined to uncover fraud in the public sector and is proud of its record.

UK Research and Innovation: Publications

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will take steps to ensure that research papers funded through UK Research and Innovation are politically neutral.

Andrew Griffith: Decisions on research papers funded by UKRI are made through independent evaluation by experts who are required to be politically neutral in their decision making.

UK Research and Innovation: Publications

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of funding provided by UK Research and Investment for research papers.

Andrew Griffith: UKRI is the national funding agency that invests in and facilitates research and innovation activities across the United Kingdom. Research papers are a key means of communicating the results of research and innovation activities contributing to the body of knowledge across different research areas. Every £1 of public R&D funding leverages around £2 of additional private sector investment. The UK is a leader in science and research. With less than one per cent of the world’s population, the UK accounts for 6.3% of the world’s academic publications, and 13.4% of the most highly cited research publications.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Marketing

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what proportion of her Department’s (a) advertising and (b) marketing expenditure was on (i) local newspapers in print and online, (ii) national newspapers in print and online, (iii) social media, (iv) search engines, (v) broadcast and on-demand television and (vi) other channels in the most recent year for which data is available.

Andrew Griffith: We are still compiling final spend figures for financial year 23/24. We do acknowledge the importance and usefulness of advertising and marketing expenditure in delivering key information to the public. Based on our indicative statistics for financial year 23/24, the proportion of the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology marketing spend on each item was as follows:  i) Local newspapers in print and online 0%ii) National newspapers in print and online 6%iii) Social media 39%iv) Search engines 6%v) Broadcast and on-demand television 0%vi) Other channels 49%

Uk Research and Innovation: UK Health Security Agency

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has taken steps to align the activities of UK Research and Innovation and the UK Health Security Agency.

Andrew Griffith: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have complementary roles in preparing for and responding to infectious diseases threats, working in partnership with Department of Health and Social Care/National Institute Health and Care Research and Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs taking a ‘One Health’ approach. To enhance UK preparedness and resilience, UKRI works closely with UKHSA and government departments to ensure the UK has appropriate infrastructure and capabilities to prevent, detect and respond to future threats. In responding to disease outbreaks, UKRI works with UKHSA and devolved administrations, who provide vital leadership on the nature of the threats and the research questions to be addressed.

Research: Foreign Investment in UK

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, which Department is responsible for foreign direct investment into research and development in the UK.

Andrew Griffith: The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is responsible for the promotion and facilitation for foreign direct investment (FDI). DSIT works closely with DBT to promote global collaboration and investment opportunities in R&D. FDI is a key source of R&D funding, accounting for 14% of UK R&D investment. Our collaborative approach resulted in the successful 2023 Global Investment Summit, securing over £29 billion, including investments in AI, life sciences and quantum.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Labour Turnover

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many staff have left her Department since its creation.

Andrew Griffith: The number of employees that have left the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) since department records began is 148.

Satellites

Liz Twist: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress her Department has made on the establishment of the Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit scheme.

Andrew Griffith: The Connectivity in Low Earth Orbit programme has been established and the first call for proposals is now open. Further information on in the initial call for proposals may be found here: https://www.find-government-grants.service.gov.uk/grants/connectivity-in-low-earth-orbit-c-leo-2 Further information on the programme may be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/c-leo-programme

Satellites: Broadband

Liz Twist: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions she has had with Ofcom on the eligibility of satellite broadband for the universal service obligation scheme.

Julia Lopez: There have been no recent discussions with Ofcom on the eligibility of satellite broadband for the Broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO). The USO remains technology agnostic and any connectivity solution that can meet the minimum parameters, including required speeds and the current cost per month threshold of £56.20, can be used both to determine eligibility and to deliver a connection. Currently Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology is unlikely to meet the needed requirements however, last year, DSIT published a consultation to review the USO and ensure it remains up to date. The government response will be published later this year.

Mobile Phones: Social Tariffs

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will hold discussions with Ofcom on changes in the number of mobile phone social tariff subscribers since July 2023.

Julia Lopez: Government continues to work closely with Ofcom on the affordability of telecoms services, including on social tariffs. Ofcom’s December 2023 Pricing Trends report showed that 380,000 UK households now take up a social tariff, an almost 160% increase from September 2022. The report also notes that the majority of social tariff take-up is in the fixed broadband market, with only 3% of social tariff take-up in mobile. Ofcom noted that the lower take up of mobile social tariffs is most likely due to the fact that these products are new to the market, as well as the widespread availability of commercial ‘sim-only’ deals which can be purchased for as little as £6 per month.

Broadband: Housing

Sir Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many multi-dwelling units are excluded from the requirement that new build properties should have capability to host gigabit-capable broadband infrastructure.

Julia Lopez: The Building etc. (Amendment) (England) (No. 2) Regulations 2022 require developers of new build homes, including multi-dwelling units (MDUs), in England to install the gigabit-ready physical infrastructure necessary for gigabit-capable connections. Additionally, and subject to a £2,000 cost cap per premises, developers need to install a gigabit-capable connection. Where a developer is unable to secure a gigabit-capable connection within the cost cap, a next-best technology connection that is available within the same cost cap must be installed. This means first a superfast connection, and if this is not possible, at minimum a broadband connection.The requirements do not apply to properties undergoing a material change of use, such as converted properties, which may form some of the MDU housing stock. This issue was considered during the Technical Consultation which ran from 21 December 2012 to 28 February 2022. However, there was a lack of evidence from the consultation responses to suggest that these types of properties should be in scope of the regulations. We do not have an up-to-date assessment of how many MDUs this currently applies to.

Broadband: Housing

Sir Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many multi-dwelling unit freeholders are still to give permission to broadband network operators to upgrade their properties to gigabit-capable broadband.

Sir Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support network operators in identifying freeholders of multi-dwelling units so operators can secure the permission of freeholders to upgrade broadband infrastructure so it is gigabit capable.

Julia Lopez: There are approximately 6.5m Multi-dwelling units (MDUs) in the UK, of which an estimated 75% have access to a gigabit-capable connection. Of those that remain to be connected, this may be for a variety of reasons, including commercial viability, whether they are eligible for public subsidy or because they are subject to the commercial build plans of network operators, which includes ongoing negotiations with landlords of such properties. The Land Registry holds details of property interests in Land and Buildings in England and Wales, while the Land Register of Scotland, and the Land Registry of Northern Ireland, collect information related to Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively. While we recognise that not all land in the United Kingdom is registered, the Department expects operators to refer to these sources to ascertain the identity of the owner of a property.

Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Act 2021: Broadband

Sir Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the impact of the Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Act in facilitating broadband network providers’ access to multi-dwelling units to make ultrafast broadband available to tenants.

Julia Lopez: The Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Act 2021 provides Electronic Communications Code Operators with the option to apply to the courts for time-limited Code rights to be imposed in situations where a tenant of a multiple dwelling building has requested an electronic communications service, but the landlord has not responded to repeated requests for access from the operator. This process is intended to be quicker and cheaper than applying to the courts for under the standard process set out in Part 4 of the Code. My Department will continue to monitor the impact of this legislation through regular dialogue with His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service and stakeholders, but no formal assessment has been made since the provisions came into force in December 2022 in England and Wales, and July 2023 in Scotland.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Marketing

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of her Department’s (a) advertising and (b) marketing expenditure was on (i) local newspapers in print and online, (ii) national newspapers in print and online, (iii) social media, (iv) search engines, (v) broadcast and on-demand television and (vi) other channels in the most recent year for which data is available.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department does not yet have final figures for its 2023/24 advertising and marketing expenditure, the first full year since the Department was created. This information will be published in the Department’s annual accounts on GOV.UK.

Energy: Standing Charges

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking with OFGEM to reduce daily standing charges for gas and electricity in Suffolk.

Amanda Solloway: In November, Ofgem announced a review into standing charges, exploring how it is applied to energy bills and potential alternatives. The review had now closed and Ofgem is currently analysing the input it has received. Ofgem will publish its response in due course. The variance in standing charge is mainly due to regional differences in energy distribution costs. These costs reflect the expenses of maintaining a live supply in a specific area, and the number of consumers those costs are spread across. On 30 March, I wrote to Ofgem, highlighting the importance of keeping standing charges as low as possible.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme: Suffolk Coastal

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many households have participated in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in Suffolk Coastal constituency since January 2022.

Amanda Solloway: The Boiler Upgrade Scheme opened to applications in May 2022. Up to the end of February 2024, there were 106 grants paid for installations in properties in the constituency of Suffolk Coastal.

Renewable Fuels: Public Consultation

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she plans to launch a consultation on the renewable liquid heating fuel obligation before 23 July 2024.

Justin Tomlinson: The Government intends to issue the consultation by September this year, in line with commitments made by ministers during Parliamentary debates on the Energy Act.

Renewable Fuels: Public Consultation

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what the (a) scope and (b) terms of reference of the consultation on the renewable liquid heating fuel obligation will be.

Justin Tomlinson: The Government will consult on the potential role of renewable liquid fuels in heat by September, in line with commitments made during the passage of the Energy Act. The Department is developing the consultation at pace and its final scope and terms of reference will be confirmed in due course.

Energy: Wales

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of levels of energy (a) poverty and (b) security in (i) Newport West constituency and (ii) Wales.

Amanda Solloway: Fuel poverty is devolved. The UK has a secure and diverse energy system – including through access to our own North Sea gas reserves, the second largest Liquefied Natural Gas port infrastructure in Europe, investment in renewable energy sources and steady pipeline gas imports from reliable partners like Norway. The annual Statutory Security of Supply Report 2023 (December 2023) concluded that Great Britain is anticipated to maintain adequate supplies of electricity and gas to meet consumers’ demands over the short- and long-term. Weblink: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6574ae1a33b7f2000db72144/statutory-security-supply-report-2023.pdf

Boiler Upgrade Scheme: South Holland and the Deepings

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many households have taken part in the Boiler Upgrade Scheme in South Holland and the Deepings constituency since January 2022.

Amanda Solloway: The Boiler Upgrade Scheme opened to applications in May 2022. Up to the end of February 2024, there were 65 grants paid for installations in properties in the constituency of South Holland and the Deepings.

Wind Power

Alicia Kearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to help encourage the development of onshore wind projects.

Andrew Bowie: Since 2010 there has been an almost fourfold increase in the volume of onshore wind, and the Government continues to incentivise and promote deployment. We have announced that there will be up to £120 million of funding available to support established renewable technologies such as onshore wind in the next Contracts for Difference auction. In England, the Government has also made changes to national planning policy to ensure local authorities can respond more flexibly to suitable opportunities for onshore wind while respecting the views of their local communities.

Electricity: Imports

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increasing the use of imported electricity on (a) industrial and (b) domestic energy prices.

Justin Tomlinson: Interconnectors are built to share energy with some of our closest European allies, who are also generating renewable, clean energy at affordable prices, enabling access to lower-cost electricity for GB consumers. Analysis supporting the Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan [1] showed that increasing the level of interconnection could reduce system costs by over £1bn annually (based on 2012 prices). New interconnectors are subject to an independent and robust regulatory process run by Ofgem, ensuring that only projects which bring benefits to GB consumers are built. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transitioning-to-a-net-zero-energy-system-smart-systems-and-flexibility-plan-2021

Electricity Interconnectors

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the use of electricity interconnectors on energy (a) security and (b) supply.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when her Department last made an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of imported electricity through interconnectors on energy security.

Justin Tomlinson: Government consider that interconnectors will play a key role in enabling greater security of supply by providing access to a more diverse electricity generation mix, responding to shocks in the GB system by importing electricity. The Capacity Market (CM) is our main tool for ensuring security of electricity supply. CM auction targets are set based on advice from the Electricity System Operator’s Electricity Capacity Report which considers the contribution interconnectors make to security of supply. With the exception of 2022, GB has historically been a net importer of electricity, though ESO forecasts suggest that GB will likely become a net exporter in future.

Electricity Interconnectors: Morocco

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential (a) environmental and (b) commercial impact of proposals for a high voltage direct current transmission line from Morocco to the UK.

Justin Tomlinson: The Government is interested in the Xlinks UK-Morocco Power Project which is a proposed large scale onshore wind, solar and battery storage site in Morocco that would exclusively supply power to the GB grid via high voltage direct current subsea cables. The Government is currently evaluating – without commitment – how this complex project could contribute to the UK’s energy security. Our evaluation is considering a range of issues, including environmental and commercial impacts, to ensure we are comprehensively assessing the viability and merits of the proposal.

Electricity Generation

Giles Watling: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to page 75 of her Department’s consultation entitled Review of Electricity Market Arrangements: second consultation, published on 12 March 2024, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on the power system if there was no role for unabated gas in 2035.

Justin Tomlinson: We will need unabated gas in 2035 to play a small but important role when the wind does not blow or the sun does not shine. Our published Net Zero scenarios envisage a small but important role for unabated gas in 2035. Without a role for unabated gas, we would likely run an increased risk of blackouts.

Mineworkers' Pension Scheme

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions she has had with the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme Trustees on the surplus sharing arrangements of that scheme.

Justin Tomlinson: Ministers and Trustees last discussed the surplus sharing arrangements in 2021. The Government has been consistent that it would consider any proposals that the Trustees bring forward.

Energy Supply

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she has taken to ensure the UK's energy security, in the context of ongoing regional conflicts in the Middle East.

Andrew Bowie: Global energy markets continue to function normally and we have not seen any significant impact to the energy market in light of Iran’s attack on Israel. We continue to monitor the situation closely. Retail prices of petrol and diesel are primarily driven by the underlying prices in global oil markets and exchange rates. These are currently well within normal ranges of volatility and the market is functioning normally. We continue to work with Ofgem, system operators and industry to monitor our energy security and ensure these organisations can deploy all tools at their disposal if needed to secure our supply.

Gas Fired Power Stations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will take steps to reform the capacity market to ensure that new gas power plants have parity with interconnectors.

Justin Tomlinson: The technology-neutral Capacity Market (CM) provides all forms of capacity, including new and existing gas generation and interconnectors, with the right incentives to be on the system to deliver when needed. All capacity in the CM is derated by technology type, to account for expected contributions to electricity security of supply during times of system stress. Derating factors for all technology types are determined annually and are set out in the Electricity System Operator’s Electricity Capacity Report and Secretary of State’s decision on CM auction parameters each year and are published online.

Electricity: Imports

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what proportion of electricity is forecast to be imported via interconnector by (a) 2030 and (b) 2040.

Justin Tomlinson: As set out in our net zero and power sector scenarios,[1] the UK could become a net electricity exporter in future. In 2030, net exports are 2.4% of gross generation supplied in the higher electricity demand scenario. The UK remains a net importer in the lower electricity demand scenario with net imports providing an additional 2.3% to gross generation supplied. In 2040, net exports are 8.2% of gross generation supplied in the higher electricity demand scenario and 6.6% in the lower demand scenario. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-and-emissions-projections-2021-to-2040

Electricity: Imports

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has made representations to HM Treasury on the inclusion of imported electricity in Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism taxation.

Amanda Solloway: Electricity generation was not included within the initial sectoral scope of the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), announced in December 2023. The approach aligns with free allowance allocations, under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which are not provided to electricity generators. In making the decision, the government looked primarily at three factors: inclusion in the UK ETS, carbon leakage risk, and feasibility and effectiveness. The sectoral scope of a UK CBAM will remain under review. The design and delivery of a CBAM is subject to consultation, closing on 13 June 2024.

Electricity: Imports

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department is taking steps to maintain energy security in the context of the availability of electricity supplies from (a) central and (b) western Europe.

Andrew Bowie: The UK has a secure and diverse energy system. The market has successfully delivered sufficient electricity supplies amidst a recent period characterised by high energy prices and increased uncertainties caused by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Electricity System Operator’s (ESO) Summer Outlook expects sufficient supply to meet demand at all times this summer; net imports into Great Britain from mainland Europe; and to be able to support exports if needed. We continue to work with Ofgem and ESO to monitor energy security and ensure ESO can deploy all tools at its disposal if needed to secure supply. ESO Summer Outlook weblink: https://www.nationalgrideso.com/document/316126/download

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Labour Turnover

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many staff have left her Department since its creation.

Justin Tomlinson: The number of employees that have left the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) since Department records began is 389.

Treasury

National Insurance Contributions

James Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value was of (a) Class 1 employee, (b) Class 1 employer, (c) Class 2 and (d) Class 4 self-employed National Insurance Contributions receipts in the 2023-24 financial year.

Nigel Huddleston: The Office for Budget Responsibility publishes forecast levels of National Insurance receipts in their Economic and Fiscal Outlook report.

UK Trade with EU: Export Controls

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential economic impact of the European Commission’s customs reform proposals of 17 May 2023 on exporters to the EU.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential economic impact of the European Commission’s proposals on EU customs reform of 17 May 2023 on Northern Ireland, in the context of the Windsor Framework.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had discussions with her relevant EU counterparts on the potential impact of the European Commission’s customs reform proposal of 17 May 2023 on exporters.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government has been engaging with the European Commission including through the UK/EU annual Trade Specialised Committee on Customs Cooperation and Rules of Origin. The EU has expressed the need for consultation with the UK to take into account potential implications for Northern Ireland. The Government published an Explanatory Memorandum in August 2023 setting out relevant considerations in relation to the EU’s proposed reforms. As the reforms develop, we will continue to monitor the progress and to assess any potential impacts on UK businesses.

Stamp Duty Land Tax: Northern Ireland

Claire Hanna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to review the (a) rate of and (b) threshold for Stamp Duty Land Tax in Northern Ireland in the context of trends in average house prices.

Nigel Huddleston: The government keeps all tax policy under review and changes are announced at a fiscal event as part of the normal tax policy making process.

Childcare: Tax Allowances

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he (a) has had and (b) plans to have discussions with (i) Cabinet colleagues and (ii) relevant stakeholders on the potential merits of increasing the tax free childcare allowance.

Laura Trott: HM Treasury work closely with other Government departments and relevant stakeholders on all elements of childcare policy, including Tax-Free Childcare.

Climate Change: International Cooperation

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the next round of International Climate Finance from April 2026 has already been allocated under future spending plans.

Laura Trott: The next round of International Climate Finance falls outside of this Spending Review period. Decisions on how spending is allocated after 2024-25, including for International Climate Finance, will be made at a future Spending Review.

Childcare: Subsidies

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of converting the childcare subsidy into an increased tax-free allowance.

Laura Trott: The Government recognises the importance of supporting parents with the costs of childcare and does so through a range of childcare offers.The Government keeps childcare policy under regular review.

Cryptocurrencies: Regulation

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the new regulatory framework for crypto assets and stablecoins will (a) enhance the UK's global competitiveness in fintech and (b) protect consumers from the volatility and risks associated with digital currencies.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what regulatory measures are in place to ensure the stability and security of investments in cryptocurrencies; and whether any additional measures are being considered.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to issue any (a) guidance or (b) resources to help potential investors understand the risks and benefits associated with cryptocurrency investments.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department has taken to support innovation in blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies while ensuring robust consumer protections.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an estimate of (a) the role and (b) trends in the value of (i) bitcoin and (ii) other major cryptocurrencies in the economy in the next (A) five and (B) 10 years.

Bim Afolami: The government is committed to creating a regulatory environment in the UK where firms can innovate, while crucially maintaining financial stability and clear regulatory standards.In line with this, the government has already brought cryptoassets into regulation for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing, and financial promotions.As a result, the Financial Conduct Authority now regulates and supervises qualifying cryptoasset promotions, with the aim of improving consumers’ understanding of the risks and benefits associated with cryptoasset investments, and ensuring that cryptoasset promotions are held to the same high standards as for broader financial services.In October last year, the Treasury published its final proposals for creating the UK’s financial services regulatory regime for cryptoassets.

Insurance: Payment Methods

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will hold discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority on the additional costs to consumers of paying (a) vehicle and (b) household insurance in monthly instalments; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of such costs on people on lower incomes.

Bim Afolami: Treasury Ministers and officials have regular meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors, including the financial services regulators, on an ongoing basis.     The Government does not prescribe the terms, conditions or price that insurance companies set when offering insurance. Insurers make commercial decisions about the pricing of insurance following their assessment of the relevant risks. The Government does not intervene in these decisions as this could damage competition in the market.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the independent regulator responsible for supervising the insurance industry. The FCA requires firms to ensure their products offer fair value (i.e. if the price a consumer pays for a product or service is reasonable compared to the overall benefits they can expect to receive). The FCA has been clear that it will be monitoring firms to ensure they are providing products that are fair value, and, where necessary, it will take action.

Right to Buy Scheme

Jonathan Gullis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance HM Revenue and Customs has issued on to the sale of Right to Buy properties.

Nigel Huddleston: HMRC capital gains tax (CGT) guidance in connection with selling a home is available on GOV.UK at www.gov.uk/tax-sell-home. Self-assessment Helpsheets 281 and 283 also contain information about the amount of CGT private residence relief available when a person sells a property that has been their only or main residence at some time during their ownership, including how the relief applies to married couples and civil partnerships. These are available, respectively, at www.gov.uk/government/publications/husband-and-wife-civil-partners-divorce-dissolution-and-separation-hs281-self-assessment-helpsheet and www.gov.uk/government/publications/private-residence-relief-hs283-self-assessment-helpsheet. More detailed information on CGT is available in HMRC’s Capital Gains Tax Manual at www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/capital-gains-manual. There are no separate CGT rules for properties acquired under the Right to Buy arrangements.

Iran: Israel

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the conflict between Iran and Israel on (a) global economic stability, (b) oil prices and (c) inflation.

Bim Afolami: HM Treasury is monitoring the situation closely following Iran’s attack against Israel. The UK is working urgently with our allies to de-escalate the situation. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimated the potential UK economic impacts of a widening of conflict in the Middle East in their March 2024 Economic and Fiscal Outlook (https://obr.uk/efo/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-march-2024/ ).

Climate Change: Finance

Clive Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has had discussions with the Bank of England on incorporating the impact of climate change in inflation modelling.

Bim Afolami: The Treasury meet with the Bank of England regularly to discuss their assessment of the economy, inflation and the impact of shocks and structural trends, including climate change.The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is the government’s official forecaster. They published their latest assessment of the economic and fiscal outlook (EFO) which includes inflation on 6th March. The Fiscal risks and sustainability report, published in July 2023, included discussion of the long-term impact of climate change on the fiscal position.The Bank of England has operational independence over monetary policy and publishes its own forecasts, including for inflation, in its quarterly Monetary Policy Report.

Post Offices: Bank Services

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to hold discussions with representatives of the main banks on the potential merits of agreeing a new banking framework with the Post Office for the period after 2025.

Bim Afolami: The Government is supportive of industry initiatives that assist access to in-person banking. These include the Post Office Banking Framework, which allows personal and business customers to carry out everyday banking services at 11,500 Post Office branches across the UK.Negotiations between the banking industry and the Post Office regarding any future Banking Framework are commercial discussions and the Government has no role.

BBC: Finance

Jeff Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the Government's BBC funding model review.

Laura Trott: The Government has launched a review of the BBC’s funding model, to ensure it is fair to licence fee payers, sustainable for the long term, and supports the BBC’s vital role in growing our thriving creative industries.This is an important cross-Government programme of work, HMT and DCMS are in regular engagement, and will continue to do so over the course of the review.

Revenue and Customs: Conferences

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list the organisations that attended HMRC Stakeholder Conference 2024.

Nigel Huddleston: The HMRC Stakeholder Conference was attended by 184 external stakeholders from a range of sectors and organisations, including professional bodies, agents, business representative organisations, businesses, customs, and the voluntary and community sector.

Treasury: Marketing

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of his Department’s (a) advertising and (b) marketing expenditure was on (i) local newspapers in print and online, (ii) national newspapers in print and online, (iii) social media, (iv) search engines, (v) broadcast and on-demand television and (vi) other channels in the most recent year for which data is available.

Gareth Davies: HMT’s expenditure on these related areas are all published in the public domain and can be found across the below links a) https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/gpc-spendb) https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/25000-spendc) https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-annual-report